


Family Issues

by Andromedanewton



Series: Anita Blake (My Minor Canon-Divergence) [2]
Category: Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter - Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Necrophilia, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sequel, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-11 18:48:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 53,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7065889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andromedanewton/pseuds/Andromedanewton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My sequel to Old Friends, New enemies.</p><p>Halloween is the busiest time in the animating calendar and the last thing Anita Blake needs is any additional complications.  When she returns from a long night of raising, then banging, the dead (sorry couldn't resist) she has something of a surprise.  Her dad, step-mom and brother have come for a visit and with the arrival of Edward 'Ted' Forrester and his readymade family she has her hands completely full, or so she thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, folks! Here is my second (slightly canonically diverted) Anita Blake fanfic!
> 
> I have this idea in my head of torturing characters with what would make them most uncomfortable and what better way to do that than have Anita's family show up unannounced while she has an execution order and it's the busiest time of the animating year? I know, I'm evil, but you seem to like it, so enjoy!
> 
> As with my previous fics from the Anita/Merry crossover-verse I will be posting a couple of chapters a day (the chapters in this one seem to be much longer so maybe 1-2 depending on length) as this is one a few pieces I have lying around and I'm all excited to share them, thanks to the the responses I have had with the other fics! And shhh! Don't tell my friends that this has distracted me from actually getting my own original novels published because they will have my hide!

It’d been a long night. No, scratch that…a looooong night. I’d had six raisings. It was almost Halloween and I was booked up to the back teeth. Bert had a lot to answer for; six raisings most nights, six nights a week. I wasn’t even sure how I’d managed to lose my second night off a week although he assured me I’d get it back after the busy spell. I’d better. I was this close to quitting.   
Then I’d been to see Jean Claude and Asher, who’d made it an even loooooooonger night. Not a bad thing in itself but if I was tired yesterday, today I was dog-tired.  
I was ready for at least six hours sleep, which I should be able to get before I had to go back to work…again. I hoped the Pard would be up so I could just fall into bed, but at nine am I doubted it. Wereleopards, like all cats, could sleep like it was an Olympic event. Maybe I’d just fall into one of the spare beds and hope Micah would crawl in and join me.   
I turned on my indicator to pull into my driveway and slammed on the brakes as a taxi pulled out. What was a taxi doing in my driveway? I lifted my Browning into my lap and drove onto the drive.   
Three figures stood at the door about to ring the bell but they turned at the sound of the jeep. Two male, one female. All blonde. Oh shit. I put up the Browning and parked the car. I took a deep cleansing breath that really didn’t seem to cleanse me, and got out of the car, bringing my animators bag with me.  
“Dad?” I said as the three figures approached me, all smiles. Dad, my step-Mom Judith and my stepbrother Josh. Man, he’d shot up. He was only seventeen but was now head and shoulders above me. Just like the rest of the family. He was turning out pretty cute. “What on earth are you doing here?” My jaw was somewhere near the floor.  
Dad took me in a hug, Judith patted my arm. “We tried calling but you never returned our messages.”  
“You know October is my busiest time.” I moved to hug Josh. “Hey, Josh.”  
“Hi, Anita.”  
“Geez, you got tall.”  
He laughed. “I’m getting that a lot these days.”  
“Well I guess you’d better come in.” I unlocked the door and went straight through to the kitchen, ditching my bag in the hall. I was going to need coffee, and lots of it. Looked like I wasn’t going to get my six hours.   
“I like the house, Anita.” Judith said walking from the lounge into the kitchen with Dad. “The blue rug and cushions make it so much brighter than the stark whiteness of your old living room.”  
“Thanks, Jean Claude bought them.” I said and without looking I knew the look that’d be on her face. I’d mentioned the vamp! Yes! I felt better already having upset Judith. “You’ll have to excuse the place; I have a lot of friends stop over. Anyone want coffee?” I said, measuring the beans.  
“Thank you, yes.” Dad said. “Have you just got in from work?”  
“Yeah. Been up all night.” I almost lied. Well, I had been up all night with Jean Claude and Asher and I had gone out to go to work originally.  
“We’ll stay for a coffee and then get out of your way, let you get some rest. I was thinking perhaps we could have dinner one evening.”  
“That’d be great but I can’t take an evening right now. I have none free. I could do one lunchtime though.”  
“Fine, we’ll arrange something. May I call for another cab to collect us?” He smiled at me.  
"Sure." I waved my hand towards the phone on the wall.  
I put the coffee on to drip through and turned around. Judith was looking at the vase of roses on the table, Josh standing just behind her with his hands in his pockets .  
“I have to go get changed, make yourselves at home.” I went to walk out of the door. I hoped Judith didn’t look at my DVD collection. If she found Nathaniel’s she’d have a fit. I think one of them still had the gift bow on it.  
“We can come with you for a quick tour, if you’d like.” Judith said. “Save you having to do it later.”  
Dad gave me a small smile. I think he wanted me to take her up on the offer, keep her happy. Well we’d see how happy she was after she’d been round the house.  
“Sure.” I shrugged.  
They followed me up the stairs and we reached the bathroom first. I showed it to them then moved on. Next was my room. Okay, a deep breath and open the door.  
“This is my room.” I said. Judith’s jaw dropped open and Dad and Josh’s eyes went wide. I turned to look in the room. The Pard were asleep. It looked like a pile of arms and legs and torsos. I could see Nathaniel’s head, his long auburn hair in one long braid. Cherry was there too, and Zane I thought. I could tell Micah was there, it was all I could do not to find him and run my hands into his thick brown curls…I shook my head to get rid of the image it was so strong. “And my friends. You can meet them later.” I shut the door again and turned to look at Dad. “The spare rooms are next.”  
“Anita!” Judith said. “There is an orgy going on in your room!” She looked horrified.  
“Oh relax, Judith. It’s the twenty-first century. People can sleep together without having sex, you know.” I walked away leaving her with a look of astonished horror on her face  
I showed them the two rooms noting that one of the spare beds had been slept in.  
“I’ll just show you guys the second bathroom downstairs then I’ll come up and get changed.”  
It was not going well. Okay, so I’d managed to brush off everything so far and surprise Judith, which was great in itself, but my Dad? I was still his little girl. I think I might have ruined that image in the last five minutes.   
They followed me back downstairs again and I moved to the door of the main bathroom. I was dead on my feet and was real surprised when I opened the door to a flood of steam and peppermint. The steam cleared and I looked up to see the tub full, the lights out and the candles lit. I took a step into the room open mouthed.  
“Jason?!”  
“Hey ,Anita. You’re just in time.” He grinned at me. His hair was wet and slicked back from his face making him look more handsome than boyish.  
“What…Jason, why’re you…” I sniffed again. “That’s not my new peppermint candles is it?”  
“You can share them!” He shrugged.  
“You have been hanging out with Jean Claude way too long.” I shook my head. “Dad, Judith, Josh, this is Jason Schuyler. Jason, my Dad, my step-Mom Judith and my brother Josh.”  
“Hi.” Jason waved. “A pleasure to meet you. And by the way sir, can I just say your daughter is a fantastic lay.”  
“JASON!” I yelled.  
To my surprise my Dad laughed. “Anita, you have such a good friend here. He knows just how to embarrass you and put us at ease.” He wrapped an arm round my shoulders and squeezed me to him. “Your friends obviously needed somewhere to stay and you graciously offered up your home. You always were so generous.” He kissed the side of my head. Well if that was what he wanted to believe, who was I to argue?   
“Yeah, Anita, you’re so generous!” Jason said. “Could you prove it and scrub my back?”  
I slammed the door as my Dad started laughing. “I am so sorry about him.” I said. Judith was fanning herself slightly and Josh was trying hard not to laugh.  
“Don’t apologise, Anita. He seems like a lovely young man.”   
“Are the two of you…” Judith asked.  
“No, I’m still with Jean Claude. And Micah. You can meet him later.” I lead them back through to the kitchen.  
“Micah?” Judith asked.  
“Yeah he’s one of the ones up in my bed.” I started to pour coffee for everyone and got out sugar and cream.   
“So how have you been?” Dad asked sitting at the table. I think he was avoiding the last statement which was fine with me.  
“Okay. You know, working most of the time.”  
“But finding time to date two men.” Judith said bitchyly.  
“Oh yeah.” I winked at Josh.  
“Anita, you’re home.” I turned to see Micah standing in the doorway wearing only a pair of jeans, rubbing sleep from his eye. His hair was tousled with sleep and he had a small amount of stubble and looked…oh God, I needed to touch him. I walked to him, a small sigh escaping my lips as he smiled at me. He took my hand and I shuddered slightly. We kissed and hugged and grinned at each other. I took his hand and led him further in to the room.  
“Micah Callahan, this is my Dad, Henry Blake, my step-Mom, Judith and my stepbrother, Josh. Guys, this is Micah.”  
Micah smiled and offered his hand out to my Dad. “It’s an honour to meet you, sir.”  
They shook hands then Micah shook hands with both Judith and Josh.  
“You want a coffee, Micah?”  
“Yeah, please.” He came and stood by the counter while I got his mug and filled it with coffee.  
“Why’s Jason here?”  
“Two reasons. One, to give Jean Claude a bit of peace last night and two, he’s your midday.”  
“Oh.” I nodded. I knew what he meant. Nathaniel and Micah had both fed the ardeur recently so it was Jason’s turn at lunchtime seeing as Asher and Jean Claude would be out of it, tucked up in their coffins until later today. I’d been learning to feed the ardeur from a distance but could only do so at night, when Guilty Pleasures was open. “Are you guys in town long?” I asked, handing round coffee. This was the most entertaining I’d done since I got the house, not including the weres, they just helped themselves, my house their house.  
“A couple of days.” Dad said. “I was hoping to catch up with my little girl; I haven’t seen you since Christmas.”  
I blushed. “I’ve been busy.”  
“Oh yes, we noticed.” Judith said. She obviously wasn’t very happy with me right now, so far I’d mentioned the vamp I was dating and introduced her to a pile of my friends. Maybe I ought to swear and really piss her off.  
“Hey, Josh, how’s school?” I said ignoring Judith.  
“It’s school.” He shrugged.  
“Don’t you graduate next year?” I sipped my coffee greedily. Damn, I needed this. I moved around the counter to stand beside Micah. He took my hand as soon as I settled against the counter and I caught Dad give a small smile.  
“Yeah, can’t wait.” Josh grinned.  
“He’s actually doing very well in school. He’s still on the honour role and will probably be able to take his pick of college.” Judith said.  
“That’s good.” I nodded. “You still friends with that guy, what was his name? The one who hit on me at Christmas?”  
“Oh, Martin? Yeah, we still hang out. He collects every news clipping with you in it. I’m not sure if he hangs out with me because I’m your brother or because we’re friends.” He shrugged.  
“But you haven’t been hanging out with him much recently.” Judith said.  
“Not that much, no.” Josh shook his head.   
“Any idea what you want to do yet? After graduation?”  
“I don’t know. Maybe law.”  
“It’s a good field to get into.” Micah said. “I read law. If you can do it, I’d recommend doing the full works.” This was news to me, I really didn’t know a lot about Micah still.  
“Really?” Dad raised an eyebrow. “You work in St Louis, Mr Callahan?  
“Yes. And you can call me Micah.”  
“I’ve really got to go and get changed. You guys going to be okay?”  
“Don’t worry, Anita, we’ll drink our coffee and leave you to get some rest. The cab will be here soon.” Dad said.  
“Thanks.” I smiled at him. “I’ll call you later about lunch some time.”  
“You should tell that boss of yours he’s working you too hard if you don’t get in until nine in the morning.”  
Micah looked at me with an amused smile on his face. “Yeah, keeping you up to all hours, it’s just not on.”  
“It’ll ease off after Halloween.” I frowned. “It’s the same every year.”  
“It is?” Micah raised an eyebrow. He was teasing me about lying to my Dad about where I’d been until nine.  
“Anita!” Jason’s voice saved me from anymore questions.  
“Excuse me.” I said, walking back towards the bathroom. I opened the door. “What?”  
He was standing in the tub squeezing out his hair, giving me a perfect view of his body in its entirety.  
“I forgot to move a towel near to the tub. I don’t want to drip water all over the floor.” He grinned.  
“Dammit.” I said. “You did that on purpose.” I took a towel from the shelf and threw it at him.  
“No, but I know for next time.”  
“Just get upstairs and get dressed.” I shut the bathroom door again and started to walk towards the kitchen when there was a knock at the front door. Geez, it was like a madhouse here today. I opened the door to find Edward, complete with cowboy hat, plaid shirt and blue jeans smiling his good ole boy Ted Forrester smile at me.  
I sighed. “Ted, I assume?”  
“How you doing, Anita?” He nodded at me.  
“Peachy.” I said and walked away. He followed me back to the kitchen. Today just kept getting better and better. What did Edward want and why was he dressed as Ted?  
“Didn’t realise you were having a party.” Edward said.  
I sighed heavily. “Micah, you remember Ted?”  
“Sure. Hi ‘Ted’.” He really put the emphasis on Ted.  
“Snagglepuss.” Edward said, shaking his hand.  
“Ted, this is my Dad, Henry Blake, Judith and Josh. This is Ted. We work together sometimes.”  
They all dutifully shook hands. “Was there some business you wanted to talk to me about, Ted?”  
“Nope, this is entirely a social visit.”  
I stared at him. “What?”  
“’Nita!” I turned to the door to see Becca running towards me, closely followed by Peter and Donna, Edward’s fiancé and her kids. Or Ted’s rather.  
“Becca?” I crouched down so she could hug me in her chubby little arms and stood up still holding her. “What are you guys doing here?” I stared hard at Edward. A house full of weres was not the kind of place to bring these kids.  
“Road trip.” Said Peter smiling at me. I gave him a quick hug with my free arm then looked at Donna.  
“Hi, Donna.” I nodded at her.  
“Anita.”  
“This is Micah. My boyfriend.”  
“Oh.” Her smile brightened then. Just as I’d thought. She was still jealous of me and ‘Ted’. “Pleased to meet you.” She shook Micah’s hand.  
“Anita, there’s a problem with your tub.” Jason said coming to the door in just a towel. “Oh, hi...”  
“You remember Ted, Jason?” I said quickly.  
“Yeah.”  
I gave out more introductions and put Becca down. She wanted to show me the new doll she’d brought with her so Peter took her to the car to get it.  
“What kind of problem, Jason?” I pinched the bridge of my nose.  
“It’s not draining.”  
“What?” I walked past him towards the bathroom.  
“It just stopped about halfway down, you must have a blockage.”  
“Dammit.” He followed me into the bathroom. Sure enough the tub was still half full of water. “Hold my watch.” I handed it to him and positioned myself on the side of the tub. “I assume you did check it wasn’t just the plughole that’s blocked?”  
“Actually, no.” He had the decency to look embarrassed.   
I muttered under my breath and put my hand into the still warm water. The plughole was at the back of the tub so I positioned myself with my right hand against the back side of the tub and my left in the water, my hip hanging over the main body of the tub. “You realise you’re still wet and you could have done this.” I moaned.  
“Sorry.” He grinned.  
“’Nita!” I jumped as Becca ran through the doorway and my hand slipped, plunging me into the tub of water. It was shallow enough that I didn’t submerge but I was still up to my armpits in water and bubbles. Jason was barely stifling laughter as was Peter who’d come into the room with Becca. Becca stood at the edge of the tub looking at me in confusion, a Barbie doll in her hand.  
“Mom always makes me take my clothes off before I take a bath.”  
Jason and Peter lost it at that point, laughing heavily as Micah appeared in the doorway.  
“What happened?”  
“Small plumbing accident.” I said lifting my left hand, which contained a washcloth, the cause of the blockage.  
“Whoops.” Said Jason, still laughing.  
“You are in so much trouble.” I said, throwing the washcloth at him. I used my toes to push off my Nikes so I wouldn’t drip water in them then tried to figure out how best to get out. The only way I could see was to get into the tub and climb out but then my jeans would be wet from the knee down too, as would my socks.  
“Here.” Micah came forward and offered me his hands, pulling me easily to my feet.  
“Thanks.” I said scowling some more at Jason. “Go get dressed.”   
“And you get out of those wet clothes. I’ll go get you a change.” Micah said kissing my cheek. “Come on kids; let’s leave Anita to get changed.”  
“But I wanted to show Anita Barbie.” Becca complained.  
“You don’t want Barbie to get wet do you?” Micah raised an eyebrow.  
“No, but…”  
“Well show Anita when she’s dry, okay?”  
“Okay.” She took his hand. “I have a Ken doll too. He looks like Ted.” And she dragged him from the bathroom. I was left on my own and I sat on the edge of the tub for a moment taking stock of the day so far.  
My family had shown up, which on its own would be enough to freak me out in itself, but they’d shown up unannounced while the Pard were here, all fast asleep and naked in my bed. Now Edward was here on some weird family vacation apparently on a social visit, but I didn’t believe that for a second, Edward was never social, regardless. Oh and I’d not slept in almost twenty-two hours and it didn’t look like I was going to get any before my first appointment at three either. But the way today was going I was possibly already sleeping and this was a nightmare. I sure hoped so but doubted it somehow. I wasn’t that lucky.  
I removed my Browning, shoulder holster, knives and wrist sheaths first; they’d need time to dry out. I’d just started peeling off my jeans when the doorbell rang again. And then again. No one was going to answer it. I pulled the wet jeans back up and did up the button. The bathroom door is near the front door so I was there in a matter of steps and opened it to find Zebrowski on the doorstep. He glanced up and down at me, a strange smile on his lips.  
“Did I interrupt something, Blake?”  
“No. What do you want?”  
“We may have an execution for you.” His face slid back to almost serious, an expression he always seemed to wear.  
“Shit. You’d better come in. There’s coffee on the go in the kitchen, just say hi to everyone as you go in. I’ll be with you in a minute.”  
I went back into the bathroom just as Micah came down the stairs and he followed me, shutting the door behind him.  
“Busy today.” He smiled at me.  
“Yeah.” I started peeling the jeans off again. It’s hell trying to remove wet denim. It sticks badly but at least I was taking it off while the water was still warm.  
“Let me help.” He made me sit down on the toilet seat and he pulled the jeans off the rest of the way. “Shirt next.” I started on the buttons while he pulled a large fluffy towel out of the shelves.  
“Zebrowski just turned up to add to the party.” I said putting the shirt with the jeans in the sink.  
“I noticed. Does he need you to go out?”  
“Not sure. He said something about an execution.”  
“So probably tonight.”  
“Yeah.” I slid off my bra then undies and took the towel.  
“You need to sleep some time, Anita.”  
“What’s the phrase? ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’?”  
“At this rate you’ll kill yourself from over work.” He said moving to wrap his arms round me.  
“It’ll all be over in a couple of weeks, things will slow down.” I sighed. “But a decent sleep wouldn’t go amiss.”  
“So tell everyone to leave and go to bed. I’ll make sure no one disturbs you.” He kissed my cheek.  
“I’ve got to be back at the office at three. Which means I have to leave the house in at least four and a half hours. I’ll be lucky to get three hours now and if I fall into bed I won’t want to get out of it.”  
“Make Bert rearrange your appointments for later. You have to rest.”  
“I’ll rest tomorrow, Micah, honest I will. I just have raisings on Saturday, then the day off on Sunday.”  
He rubbed his hands over my shoulders and back drying me. “I’ll hold you to that. You come straight home tonight and to bed then sleep until at least noon.”  
“Alright.” I smiled at him.  
“You look so tired.” He said holding me close.  
“It’s October Anita. She comes complete with black bags under her eyes and a dozen band aids on her fingers.” I glanced at them. “Which will need replacing because they’re wet.”  
“Get dressed, I’ll make everyone leave. Get your head down, even if it is just for three hours.” He kissed my collarbone softly.  
“Keep doing that and I’ll make everyone leave myself but I won’t be going to sleep.”  
He laughed and leant back. “As tempting as that is you need sleep more.”  
“I’ll ask them to go then sleep for a while, okay?” I raised my eyebrows.  
“Okay. Now get dressed.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe I just told you that.”  
“No, normally you’re telling me to take them off.” I stepped out of the circle of his arms and finished drying off. “Or taking them off me.”   
He moved to stand beside the clothes he’d brought down for me and handed me undies when I hung up the towel. “At least the dip in the tub brightened you up a little.”  
“No, that woke me up, you brightened me up.” I smiled at him. He held out a t-shirt to me. “What about a bra?” I frowned.  
“You don’t sleep in a bra. I brought down your sleep shirt and a pair of jeans to wear under it.”  
“I’m not going out among that lot without a bra.” I frowned.  
“Yes, you are.” He said, putting the t-shirt over my head. “You’re going to use it as an incentive to get rid of them quicker.”  
I screwed up my nose pulling a face as I put my arms through the sleeves. “One way or another you’re always taking me to bed.”  
“Someone has to.” He said, kissing the end of my nose. “Now put your jeans on and get rid of everyone.”  
I did as he asked and we went back to the kitchen together. I took my weaponry with me, the Browning would need cleaning now and I had to somehow dry the leather sheaths and holster before tonight. That’s what linen closets were for. Nathaniel, Cherry and Zane had joined the party now, as had Jason, now dressed. The Pard were dressed too, thank heaven for small mercies I guess.  
“Everyone, as nice as this visit is I have work to do.” I glanced at Zebrowski who just nodded. I moved over to where my Dad was sitting at the table. “Dad, I’ll call you later, leave me the name of your hotel and we’ll arrange going out for lunch, okay?”  
“Of course, honey, we’ll leave you to it.” He stood and kissed my forehead. “Take care.” Everyone said goodbye to them and they left.  
“Okay, Ted, backyard, now.” I walked outside and Edward followed. Becca wanted to come too but Edward put her off, telling her to go ask Micah about the cat we used to have.  
“Alright, Edward, what’s really going on?” I folded my arms under my breasts and frowned at him.  
“Why aren’t you wearing a bra?” He quirked me a sideways smile.  
“Because once everyone leaves I’m going to bed. Stop avoiding the question, what’s going on?”  
“Nothing. Donna and I decided that we’d take a vacation and Becca begged for us to come and see you.”  
I narrowed my eyes slightly at him. “That’s it? No other businesses to attend to while you’re here?”  
“Well…”  
“Edward!”  
“Alright. I got wind there may be a serial killing lycanthrope on his way to St Louis.”  
“So you thought you’d bring Donna and the kids? Smart move.”  
“No, I thought I’d give you a heads up, but that only turned up after we’d booked our tickets to fly out.”  
“Thanks.” I said, somewhat taken aback.  
“When are you and Snagglepuss free for dinner? Donna thinks we should take you out, sort of as a thank you.”  
“There’s no need, Edward, really.”  
“But she wants to, and what my honeypot wants she normally gets.” He affected an accent with a slight drawl.  
“I’m too busy for dinner right now, Edward. You couldn’t have come out next month when it’s quiet?”  
“Sorry.” He shrugged. “How about lunch?”  
“Can I call you? I have to arrange time to see my Dad too.”  
“Yeah, when did they roll into town?”  
“About ten minutes before you did.” I sighed. “Everyone just turned up today, no warning.”  
“Which is why you look so flustered. What does Zebrowski want?”  
“Possible execution tonight.”   
He raised his eyebrows. “If it comes out let me know.”  
“You’re on vacation, Edward. I’m not giving you any action.”  
“Oh come on, Anita.”  
“No, Edward. That will not go down well. ‘Hey, Donna, this vacation we’re on, I’m just going out with Anita for a few hours on our own.’ She’ll kill the pair of us.”  
“But if you ask for my help she’ll understand.”  
“I don’t need your help, Edward.”  
“No but you’d like it and don’t be such a hard ass.” He smiled.  
“Big head.” I said and walked back to the house.  
“’Nita this is my Barbie.” Becca came straight back up to me and offered me a doll in a pink dress. She was a dark haired Barbie but still had the blue eyes and perfect figure.  
“She’s sweet, Becca.” I crouched down beside her.  
“I call her ‘Nita 'cause she’s got hair like yours. And this one’s Ted.” She handed me a Ked doll with a cowboy hat and boots to go with his jeans, shirt and perfect smile.  
“I can see the resemblance.” I smiled at her.  
“Well, come on, people, let’s move out. Anita’s got business.” ‘Ted’ said and Becca stepped closer to me, until she stood between my knees.  
“Do we really have to go?” She said quietly, giving me the cutest puppy dog eyes I’d ever seen.  
“Just until later. I’m going to call and let you know when we can have lunch together.”  
“Okay.” She kissed my cheek. “Can we go to Macdonalds for lunch?” She asked walking to where Donna stood.  
“You’d better ask Ted.” She picked Becca up. “Bye.” She was out the door before any of us could say another word.  
“She still doesn’t like me then?” I quirked an eyebrow at Edward.  
“Well now she’s jealous that Becca’s always playing ‘Nita and Ted’ with her dolls.” Peter said. “See you later.”  
“Call me.” Edward said as he moved to the door. “See y’all, bye, Snagglepuss.”  
“See ya, Ted.” Micah said.  
Finally it was just the Pard, Jason, Micah and Zebrowski.  
“Can we do this somewhere private?” Zebrowski asked.  
“Sure. Clear out guys. Go in the lounge or something.” Everyone moved except Micah.  
“Don’t be long.” He said to me before following the others.  
“Okay, what have we got?” I asked, pouring myself another coffee and sitting opposite Zebrowski.  
“There’s a dangerous weretiger on the move and we think his next stop might be St Louis. Was that really your family?”  
“Yes.” I rolled my eyes. “What’s dangerous about him?”  
“He’s going round bumping off his ex-girlfriends.”  
“Okay. Why’s he coming to St Louis?”  
“He used to go to Washington U. We think he might have an ex or two in the local area. Trouble is we don’t know if and when he’s going to show up.”  
“Oh. So you get me a warrant of execution and if he comes within three states I can hunt him down?”  
“Basically.” I was now a Federal Marshal, which meant I could chase this guy over state lines if necessary.   
“Okay, what’s the guy’s name?” I sipped my coffee.  
“Jonathan Andrews.” I swallowed hard and started choking. “Hell, Blake, you okay?” He moved to pat my back as I coughed and tears filled my eyes. I nodded and calmed down enough to talk again.  
“Do you have a photo?”   
“Sure.” He handed me a photo from the file he had with him. “You obviously know the name. A friend of yours?”  
“Once.” I said staring at the picture in disbelief. It was him alright, no doubt. “A long time ago.”  
“You aren’t the ex he’s looking for are you?” Zebrowski smiled at me and when I looked up at him, wide eyed and straight faced the smile slipped from his face. “You are, aren’t you?”  
“He’s the guy I was engaged to in college.”  
“Shit.” Zebrowski said.  
“Yeah, shit. He wasn’t a were then, at least I don’t think so, I hadn’t learnt how to spot them back then.”  
He turned serious, which for Zebrowski was worrying in itself. “You’d better watch yourself. Don’t go anywhere alone. This guys a psycho and if he comes to town it’ll be to look for you.”  
“So we set him up.” I got up and put my cup in the sink.  
“Forgot my hat.” I jumped as Edward walked into the room. We both stared at him as he picked up his hat from the cabinet and left again. “Call me, Anita.” He called over his shoulder.  
“Sure, Ted.” And I knew in that instant he’d been listening in. I watched and made sure he was out the front door before I turned back to Zebrowski.  
“We set the guy up; I’ll go out with back up but will try and make it look like I’m alone. If he turns up I’ll nail him.”  
“No.” Zebrowski shook his head. “It’s too risky.”  
“What? Letting him hunt me when I know he’s coming rather than me try and hunt him when he doesn’t? I say we let him do the leg work.”  
“No.”  
“Okay, fine.” I shrugged.  
“Don’t do anything stupid, Anita.” He frowned at me.  
“I won’t.” I rolled my eyes. “I’ll make sure I don’t go anywhere alone.”  
“Good.” He handed me the warrant. “Don’t miss this one.”  
“Not a chance.” I said.  
“Call me if you get anything, no matter how small.”  
“I will, thanks, Zebrowski.”  
“No problem, just don’t get killed. That file’s for you.” He said as he left.   
“See you, Zebrowski.”  
I sat at the table for long moments staring at the picture in my hands. Jonathan Andrews. Jon Andrews. The first ever love of my life was probably coming to try kill me. Fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

Micah found me sitting at the table thumbing through the file. He’d torn up each of his girlfriends in turn into so much meat. There were photos but I tried not to dwell on them. He seemed to be getting more and more violent as he went along, doing more damage, destroying more. About fourth on the list was the girl I’d seen him with shortly after we’d broken up.  
“Anita, are you okay?” Micah rested a hand lightly on my shoulder.  
“You heard?” I said, looking down at the coroners report.  
“Yeah.” He pulled me to my feet and hugged me. “You and I are now inseparable.”  
“What about the coalition? You can’t just ignore it.”  
“Okay, during the day when you’re sleeping and if I’m busy someone will stay here to watch over you. Call Raphael, he’ll loan Bobby Lee to you again in a shot.”  
“I don’t want a house full of strangers again. I know he’s coming so I won’t let my guard down.”  
He sighed. “Whatever you think is best, I’ll go with it. I won’t necessarily agree with it, but I’ll go with it.”  
“Good.” I kissed him softly.  
“Now you need to get some sleep.”  
“No arguments here.”  
I said goodnight to the Pard and told Jason to come up at midday. I’d get maybe two hours before the ardeur kicked in again and then an hour or so after that and I knew for a fact I’d feel crappier for it but Micah wasn’t taking no for an answer. He lay on the bed spooned against my back and running his fingertips up and down my wrist and forearm until I fell into a dream filled sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weird dreams and a little smut thrown in!

I was in my dorm room back at college. Jon was there with me, only he wasn’t in full human form, he was part tiger.  
“You won’t regret getting engaged, Anita. I’ll make you so happy.” His soft fair hair had deep stripes in it, tiger stripes.  
“No, you won’t.” I said. “You’ll break my heart at your mother’s request.”  
Alright, so it was me from now with a kind of modified Jon from then. At least I wasn’t being gullible enough to agree with him.  
“I’d never do that.” He leant towards me and suddenly I was lying on the bed with him on top of me. “I love you, Anita.”  
“Get off me, it’s just a dream.”  
“It’s like a dream, isn’t it?” He smiled at me to reveal sharp teeth. “But its real, I’m real.”  
“NO!” I pushed at him but he wouldn’t get off me, he laughed and it turned into a snarling growl.  
“Ma petite? What on earth are you dreaming?”  
I turned my head to see Jean Claude standing in the doorway, his head cocked to one side. Jon vanished and I sat up suddenly and ran to Jean Claude, wrapping my arms around him. He held me close and stroked my hair until eventually I said; “You’ve missed one hell of a morning.”  
We sat in the dream and I told him everything that had happened. As I spoke the scenery changed until we were sitting on a blanket by a river, soft sunlight filtering through the trees. I’d never seen Jean Claude in sunlight before, the way it brought out the shine in his hair; it was different to say the least.  
“So your family has arrived unannounced, as has Monsieur Edward and his ready-made family. Then suddenly your ex fiancé is coming to town to murder you?”  
“That’s about the size of it.” I sighed. I looked down at my lap and was suddenly aware I was wearing a period dress, all white lace and corset. “Why can’t you send me a nice normal dream some time?” I glanced over his own outfit, a striped blazer with white slacks and shirt. A straw boater sat on the rug beside him.  
“Normal for me, ma petite? You would prefer this perhaps?” I was suddenly sitting in a very tight PVC dress with a split running from ankle to hip and a very low neckline. He was wearing nothing but leather pants. The scene had changed from the riverbank to Jean Claude’s bedroom.  
“I liked the river. But how about you stay like that and I get shorts and a t-shirt.”  
“Not very seductive, ma petite.” He frowned at me but the background faded back to the riverbank.  
“So just be done with it and sit me in my underwear.” I shrugged.  
“As my lady wishes.” He smiled.  
“This isn’t my underwear.” I said glancing down at the basque I was wearing with high-heeled boots and stay ups.  
“I assure you it is, ma petite. I just have not given it to you yet.”  
“Oh, okay.” It was very nice, a fantastically soft material and I could hardly feel the bones in it. “It’s nice, thank you.” I kissed his cheek.  
“For you anything, ma petite.” He whispered in my ear, his breath rustling my hair.  
I felt the ardeur rush over me and suddenly I was wet. We sat back from each other gasping.  
“Damn. It must be midday.” I muttered.  
“So feed, ma petite.” He said leaning towards me. “I am here, we are alone.” His lips brushed mine, a velvet softness making me sigh.  
“I’ve never fed from this great a distance before.” I whispered as he kissed along my jaw.  
“So I will teach you now. Remember the distance is only in your mind, there is no distance in our dreams.”  
He gently laid me back on the blanket and kissed me. I slid my arms around his neck and kissed him back, skilfully sliding my tongue between his fangs. He moaned low in his throat and moved over me, our clothes disappearing as our bodies touched. The ardeur washed over us both in a solid wave as he nudged at me, opening my legs a little wider, allowing him entry. I cried out as he pushed inside me; the ardeur crawling through my veins, burning me up from the inside out. He traced soft kisses across my collarbone.  
“May I, ma petite?” He whispered against my skin. But with the ardeur consuming me, and Jean Claude slowly drawing himself in and out of me the question was too difficult.  
“What?” I murmured.  
“Please, ma petite. ‘Tis only a dream”  
I realised he was kissing the large pulse in my throat and knew what he wanted. It was just a dream, it wasn’t real, right? I’d done hundreds of things in my dreams I wouldn’t do in reality.  
“Alright.” I whispered.  
“Merci, ma petite. J’taime.” And with that he sank his fangs into my throat.  
The pain was sharp and immediate, dragging me from the dream like a giant hand. I sat up quickly, colliding with Jason as he bent to wake me. He caught himself on my shoulders to stop from falling and the ardeur crashed over us both like a curtain. “Shit.” He murmured as my lips found his, my hands bunching the front of his t-shirt and pulling him to kneel on the bed.  
His hands moved to the hem of my t-shirt as I untucked his own and managed to get ourselves in a tangle of arms and material as we tried to take off each others t-shirts at the same time. As one we moved our hands to our own shirts and removed them. My hands were unbuttoning his jeans as he ran his hands around me, running them from shoulder blade to the waistband of my panties, and then sliding them as far as they would go while I was on my knees. I did the same with his jeans and we both moved together, removing the last of our clothing.   
I straddled him, taking him inside me immediately and holding him to me as I fed at his mouth. His hands traced slowly down my back to my buttocks where he held them, encouraging me to start a rhythm. I moved slowly, sliding the length of him then pressing myself down, savouring him, as our tongues danced together, bringing moans from each of us.  
We parted slowly and I stared into his crystal blue eyes. His tongue darted out to brush along my bottom lip in the submissive gesture of both the Lukoi and Pard and that alone made me tighten, pushing me that bit closer to the edge. He kissed his way across my jaw and down growling as he reached my throat and his tongue caressed my skin.  
With another low growl he turned us suddenly so he was on top, grinding his hips into me until I gasped. He pounded into me until I screamed over and over, my body writhing as he sucked the flesh and tendons of my throat into his mouth. I felt his beast growing inside him, trying to slide his skin. He was losing control and wasn’t alpha enough to stop it. My common sense came back in a sudden rush of clarity, squashing the ardeur as though it had never been there.  
“Jason!” I said pushing at him but he ignored me, his mouth still clamped at my throat. Only one thing I could think of could get him this worked up this far from the full moon…blood. I moved my hand to his lips and my fingertips came back wet and red. Dammit, I was bleeding. “Jason, get off me!” His mouth released my throat and he glanced at me with wolfish eyes. “DOWN BOY!” I barked and he stopped moving inside me. He stared down at me for a moment then slid out of me, rolling onto the floor into a tight ball. His breathing was coming too fast, as though he might hyperventilate although I knew what was actually happening, he was fighting the change. I moved to kneel beside him and rested a hand on his baby soft hair. The overdose of Jason’s bloodlust seemed to have sated the ardeur for now.  
“Jason, if you need to change, change. Just don’t eat me.”  
“No, I’m okay.” He murmured. “Just give me a minute.”  
“Sure.” I moved away from him to the mirror and looked. My neck was red and already bruising where the capillaries under the skin had been broken. A small flow of blood was trickling in two ragged lines and I took a tissue from the dresser to mop it up. It was the hickey from hell but I hadn’t felt Jason tear the skin. I leant in to the mirror and examined it closer. Two perfect puncture marks sat in the middle of the bruise. I knew a vamp bite when I saw one and I was looking at one right now.  
“Bastard.” I whispered.  
“I’m sorry.” Jason mumbled and I turned to look at him. He was sitting up but hunched slightly, a distraught look on his face.  
“Not you, Jason.” I smiled and moved back to him, holding the tissue to my throat. “I think I was bleeding before.” We sat on the floor beside each other, our backs against the bed.  
“From what?” he frowned at me.  
“Jean Claude sent me a dream, and in the dream…” I sighed. “In the dream he bit me, that’s why I sat up so suddenly.”  
“But if it was just a dream, how come you’re bleeding?”  
“That’s what I’d like to know.” I shook my head.  
Jason had nearly changed form while we were making love and it was all Jean Claude’s fault. Boy, today was just getting better and better.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Micah has Anita's back.

By the time I’d showered the bleeding had stopped, replaced instead by a stinging. I’d let Jason shower with me as a make up for neither of us quite making it in the bedroom, me through panic, him through bloodlust. He was surprisingly gentle when rinsing my hair and was a complete gentleman. We spoke in soft voices, discussing what had happened this morning and he even apologised for telling my Dad I was a good lay. I’d almost forgotten about that, what with everything else that was going on, but managed to laugh about it instead of getting pissed.  
I got dressed into a red skirt suit and black blouse with red embroidery. I’d worn it before and Bert hadn’t complained about the black top because of the red flowers on it. It was the closest I got to wearing black at work. My shoulder holster and wrist sheaths were dry now and I strapped them on, although my Browning was still in the kitchen. And I still had to clean it before I left.  
I’d managed two hours sleep and now, as predicted, felt worse than I had beforehand. I’d added more make up than usual, not only because of the striking colours of my outfit, but to hide the black bags under my eyes. Without the make up I looked like something out of a haunted house at a fun fair, or something I was meant to be raising.  
Micah met me at the bottom of the stairs with a coffee and a smile. He glanced at my neck and frowned but didn’t ask any questions. I’d tell him, just as soon as I got this coffee down me and started cleaning my gun.   
He sat opposite me as I dismantled my Browning with a practised hand, managing to keep the oil away from my clothes. “Jason didn’t bite me.” I said as I pushed the brush into the barrel. “At least, he didn’t make bleed.”  
“No?” Micah raised an eyebrow.  
“No.” I told him about Jean Claude and the dream and about Jason being driven by bloodlust.  
“He’s really going to get it about this, isn’t he?” Micah smiled slightly.  
“Oh yeah.” I glanced up at him. I looked down and then back up again, feeling rather nervous about what I was going to ask. “If I arrange to go out for lunch with my family will you come with me?”  
He smiled warmly at me. “Of course I will.”  
“Oh good.” I sighed. “I don’t fancy being the only small dark one at the table.”  
“You really don’t look a lot like your Dad.”  
“I know. I look like my Mom.”  
“Then your Mom must have been beautiful.” He reached across the table and touched my hand. I felt a blush creeping up my neck to my cheeks and concentrated back on the gun again.  
“If I have to go out with Edward will you come with me then too?”  
“I told you earlier, we’re inseparable, remember? I’d follow you into hell itself.”  
“I don’t think you need to go that far.” I raised an eyebrow at him. “Just to a couple of restaurants and endure dinner with Judith…on second thoughts you were pretty close with the hell comment.”  
He laughed at that and it made me smile.  
Once I’d finished cleaning my gun I called my Dad. We arranged to have lunch on Sunday; he would call me back with the restaurant and time of the reservation. He asked if there was anywhere he should see while he was in town and a thought struck me.  
“How about we all go to St Louis zoo after lunch? I’ve adopted a couple of animals; it’d be nice to go see them.”  
Dad had said how cute it was that I’d adopted some animals and that they’d love to see them, so the date was set. My first day off in a week and Micah and I got to play happy families with the tall, blonde set.  
I called Edward next, ready for twenty questions about what he’d heard earlier.  
“So your ex-fiancé is coming to town to bump you off?”  
“I assume Donna and the kids have gone out?”  
“Yeah. They’re in the hotel pool. You’re going to need someone to watch over you.”  
“That’s what Micah and the Pard are for.”  
“Micah sure, but the rest of the Pard?” I could almost hear him frowning.  
“If I think its necessary I’ll call in some back up. What do you think I’ve been doing since I last saw you, Edward? I’ve not been killed in that time. I can survive without you.”  
“Have lunch with us tomorrow, I’ll get Donna and the kids to disappear afterwards and you, me and Snagglepuss can go over the details. Until then stay safe.”  
“Alright. Are you taking us somewhere nice?”  
“Oh yeah. There’s this family restaurant Donna wants to try out.” I could hear the sarcasm in his voice.  
“It’s not a vegetarian place is it?” I remembered Donna’s hippy eating habits from my time in Santa Fe.  
“No.” He laughed. “You should be able to get a cremated steak there.”  
“While kids run screaming through the tables?”  
“Oh so you’ve eaten there before?” We both laughed. “I’ll come by your place tomorrow at about one and you can follow us to the restaurant. Until then make sure someone’s watching your a…oh, hi Donna. Just organising lunch with Anita for tomorrow.”  
“You almost got busted swearing.” I teased.  
“Yeah, almost. If you hear anything, call me immediately.”  
“I will, Ted. See you tomorrow.”  
We hung up and I laughed slightly.  
“Somehow Edward and Ted seem to be two different people.” Micah said, wrapping his arms round me.  
“They are, as damn near as they can be.”  
“You want me to come to work with you?”  
“I don’t know.” I sighed. “Bert might take it badly and the clients might not like it. You could always sit out in the reception area if the clients oppose to you being in there. You’d know if any weres walked in too.”  
“Sounds like a plan.”  
“You’d better go get yourself dressed up.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita has a suspicious client and a raising doesn't quite go according to the norm.

We walked through the door into the Animators Inc reception area and I stopped at the desk, Micah just behind me. We looked like a commercial of some kind, Micah wearing a black suit and tie with a red shirt. Bert couldn’t demand what Micah wore.  
“Hey, Mary.”  
“Hi, Anita.” She said, her eyes flicking from me to Micah. “Here are your appointments for today.” She indicated to the pile of files on the desk beside her.  
“Bert in?” I asked, glancing at her.  
“He has a client with him.”  
“I need to see him as soon as he’s available.”  
“He’s booked pretty solid.”  
“Make time.” I smiled and walked towards the offices, Micah following at my heel. I put the files down on the corner of the desk and hung my duster coat on the coat rack by the door and Micah followed suit. “You want a coffee?”  
“Sure. But if you have to go through those files I can make coffee for both of us.”  
“I don’t go through them. I just like Bert to think I do. I make the clients tell me what they want. A coffee, then?”  
I took Micah to the small kitchen area at the end of the hall and found a fresh jug of coffee just dripping through. We talked quietly and were walking back to the office when Bert came down the corridor towards us, frowning. When he saw Micah however he turned on his billion-dollar smile. Great, he thought Micah was a client.  
“Anita, I believe you wanted to see me, but if you’re busy…”  
“No, Bert, now is fine.”  
We went back into the office and I moved around the desk but didn’t sit down. “Bert Vaughn, this is Micah Callahan, Micah, this is Bert, my boss.” They shook hands. “Micah’s going to be sitting in with me on my clients until further notice.”  
“What?” Bert’s eyes went wide and he frowned at me, finally realising Micah wasn’t a client. “You can’t just have your boyfriend sitting in with you because you feel like it.” His voice was raising in pitch as he spoke. He was getting pissed.  
“It’s not because I feel like it, Bert. I have been contacted by RPIT and there is a very good possibility there is a serial killing weretiger coming to town to kill me. Micah is here as back up in case anything happens.”  
“All the same, the clients…”  
“Micah is happy to sit out in the waiting room if the clients don’t want him here but he, or someone else, is coming with me on every appointment or raising from now on. Unless you want your biggest commodity sliced and diced.”  
He seemed to think about it for a moment, anger burning in his eyes. “One day, Anita, you’ll push me too far.”  
“Ditto, Bert.” We glared at each other and finally he left the room, slamming the door behind him. I smiled as I sunk into my chair. “It’s a good day if I’ve pissed Bert off that much this early.”  
My first client was straightforward and didn’t mind Micah being in the room. The second didn’t want Micah there so he waited in the waiting room.  
“I’m sorry, Mr Dean, you just want me to raise your niece then come back an hour later and put her back?”  
“Yes.” He said quietly. He was a soft-spoken man although quite large in stature. He had a grey-flecked moustache and thinning hair, his suit screamed it had had wedding and funeral use only.  
“No questions, you just want to spend an hour in her company?” I raised an eyebrow.  
“The family was very saddened by her death, Ms Blake. I’d like the chance to say goodbye properly.” His hands played with the end of his tie for the thousandth time. Liar, I thought but I didn’t say it. I could taste that wasn’t why he wanted her raising but couldn’t do anything about it. No one would have believed me.  
“I can’t see there’s any problem, sir. You realise however she may not be capable of understanding or even responding. She may be completely docile and not the way you remember her.”  
“I just want the opportunity to say goodbye, Ms Blake.”  
“Alright.” I nodded. “It all seems to be in order. We’ll be in touch with an appointment date.” I stood.  
“Oh, won’t it be tonight?” He looked up at me.  
“I’m sorry, Mr Dean. Halloween is our busiest season. It’s likely to be at least a week before we have an opening.”  
“If there are any cancellations could you let me know?” he stood finally.  
“If you tell Mary, our secretary, on the way out she’ll make a note.” I moved round the desk to the door and shook his hand. “We’ll be in touch, Mr Dean.”  
He left and I felt Micah moving towards me as I went back to my desk and took out the file on Dean. There was something not right here.  
“You alright?” Micah asked as he shut the door.  
“Yeah, just that last client set alarm bells ringing but I don’t seem to have anything to put my finger on.”  
“Like what?”  
“I don’t know.” I frowned. “But something.” He sat quietly opposite me as I thumbed through the pages. I didn’t glean any new information. The girl had been young and had killed herself with apparently no reason. The file didn’t go into detail other than the suicide was apparently a complete surprise. He just wanted the chance to say goodbye. I’d heard it before, normally from parents, husbands, wives, or even an entire family, but for just an uncle? Well it was unusual. Maybe he just didn’t cope with death very well. Yeah and I’m going shopping for a white picket fence with Jean Claude later. I gave up looking after twenty minutes when my next client arrived. Another run of the mill case and I was glad, I was still thinking about Dean and his niece.  
At last six o’clock came and I had to rush to my first raising at six thirty. The last client had got quite upset and I hadn’t known what to do with her. Luckily Micah was there to rub her back and hand her tissues. We raced to the car and got there with about a minute to spare. The clients and their lawyers were there waiting in their respective cars, both great big gas guzzlers suitable for nothing but impressing other people.  
“You’d better wait with the car.” I said to Micah as I changed my black courts for black sneakers. The ground was damp and I’d sink as soon as I hit the grass in heels.  
“I’ll stand outside just in case.” He nodded. After a quick kiss I got out of the jeep, took my animating kit from the back and walked towards Mr Deben, Mrs Reid and their respective lawyers. Mr Deben had come to us asking that his business partner, Mr Reid, be raised following his heart attack last month. There had been no will but Mr Deben had a contract stating that in the event of Mr Reid’s death the business would solely go to him. Mrs Reid was contesting that decision, that as the only next of kin she should inherit what he left and that the signature on the contract was not her husband’s.  
We all shook hands and I was introduced to the lawyers, Mr Knights and Mr Parkes. Mrs Reid led the way to the grave and I explained what I was going to do and that they should keep their questions as simple as possible. I was planning on raising him fully which involved slicing my arm up, not just my finger. I thought perhaps the widow would appreciate her husband looking plump and fit rather than like the walking dead he would be. I just hoped no one found out the Executioner was turning sensitive.  
I raised Mr Reid with no trouble and walked a little way from the group so they could perform their legal wrangling. I glanced over at Micah stood leaning against my jeep then back at the group. I was sure they’d be a while so I’d have time to mop the blood off my arm before they called me back. He smiled as I approached and it tightened things deep inside me. The ardeur wasn’t due for several hours but I knew this was nothing to do with it, just the Nimir attraction. Oh and Micah. Although I was finding it harder to tell the difference between the two lately.  
“How’s it going?” He asked.  
“Fine.” I opened the passenger door and took out the aloe wipes. I put the box on the hood and pulled one out. “They’re going to call me when they’re ready to have him put back.”   
“Here, let me do that.” He moved to take the wipe off me.  
“No, its okay. I can manage.” He frowned slightly but left it at that. A few quick wipes to remove the blood showed the wound had already started to heal and I was able to roll my sleeve down again.  
“Well, no murderous weretiger attacks yet.” He said leaning against the jeep again.  
“Not yet.” I shook my head. “If he had any sense he wouldn’t come after me anyway. I mean I know he’s bumping off his ex’s but I’m the Executioner, you’d think he’d consider it and then think better of the idea.”  
“If he had any sense he wouldn’t be tearing up his ex’s in the first place.” He tucked one of his curls behind his ear but the wind caught it and blew it back in front of his face.  
“There is that.” He seemed to still suddenly and I realised he was scenting the air. He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked round a little. Then he shook his head. “What’s wrong?”  
“I thought I caught the scent of something but then it was gone. I don’t think I imagined it though. Best be careful.”  
I unbuttoned the only button I had done up on my coat so I had easier access to my Browning. It was all I could do not to draw it. “Good thing you’re here. I didn’t sense a thing.”  
“There wasn’t much to smell. It was hardly there at all, like the scent of you after you’ve washed your sheets but haven’t slept on them again yet.” He smiled slightly.  
“Guess my detergent isn’t as good as I thought.” I shrugged.  
“Everything you own is permeated by the scent of you. It’s why the Pard like spending so much time at your place. They can sense you when you’re not there.”  
“That still creeps me out a little, you know.” I said, hugging myself slightly.  
“I know.” He reached out his right hand and rubbed my left arm softly. “You’ll get used to it. It’s a compliment really, that they feel so safe with you.”  
We stared at each other for long moments then I smiled. “And you always know the right thing to say.”  
“I’m your Nimir Raj.” He shrugged. “And I’m starting to learn what you need to hear.” He said with a wink. He glanced back to the grave then back at me. “I think they’re ready for you.”  
I looked over the grass and sure enough Mr Deben was walking back towards the cars with his lawyer close behind. He did not look happy. Mrs Reid was talking to her husband and her lawyer waving at me.  
“Better get back to work.” I said and started back.  
I got halfway across the distance when several things happened at once. Mrs Reid looked at me wide eyed, as did her lawyer, Micah yelled my name, the skin felt as though it tried to crawl off my right arm and I drew my Browning. A solid, furred body ploughed into me, knocking me to the ground face first as Mrs Reid screamed. I tucked my head in as far as I could as I felt the warm moist breath ruffling my hair and felt teeth sink into the collar of my coat. My Browning was partially pinned under my body but I managed to pull it free and, pointing it up and behind me, pulled the trigger.  
The angle wasn’t perfect but at this range it didn’t need to be. The first two bullets in my gun were steel, hardly enough to even bring a yelp from the creature on top of me as they hit home. What I needed was the third, silver bullet. As I pulled on the trigger again I felt Micah close and held back, sensing rather than seeing when he dove against the other were. As soon as the weight went from my back I rolled to my feet to see a blur of fur before Micah being thrown towards me. I had no time to move and fell back with Micah on top of me, I could feel the were run for the trees surrounding the cemetery and beyond that the road.  
Micah rolled off me quickly and, getting to my feet, I ran towards where the were had disappeared into the trees as fast as I could. I saw a fleeting glimpse of it as I hit the sidewalk as it ran through evening traffic, accompanied by squealing sounds as drivers slammed on their brakes. Well, two could play that and I had a gun. I saw a break in traffic and ran through it making sure it was blatantly obvious I was armed. Anyone who leant on their horn got the Browning waved at them for a second.   
I saw the blur of fur run between two buildings. The gap was big enough for it not quite to be termed an alleyway but it wasn’t wide enough for any real vehicles. Looked an awful lot like a perfect spot for an ambush to me. I backed up to the kerb and glanced back to see Micah running through the traffic. Okay, maybe running through was the wrong phrase. Any cars that got in his way he simply leapt elegantly onto the hood and kept running, not even breaking his stride. He stopped beside me a moment later.  
“Where’d he go?”  
“Into the alley. If I was paranoid I’d think it looks too much like the perfect spot for an ambush.”  
“Just as well you are paranoid.” He said taking my left hand and pulling me back towards the road. “You have some very panicky clients back there.”  
“Ah shit, yeah. They okay?” We started back through traffic slowly this time, waiting for gaps instead of making our own, although I still didn’t put the Browning up.  
“The woman was screaming and looked like she might faint. The men all looked pretty surprised too.” He led the way back through the trees. “It wasn’t a tiger.”  
“No?” I really hadn’t been sure, as I’d only ever met one tiger before and not since I’d become new and improved.  
“No. It was a wolf.”   
“Really?” I raised an eyebrow.  
“Really.” He said.  
“Well, that sucks.” I said walking towards the grave. Mrs Reid was sitting down and looked starkly pale against her black suit. Her lawyer was crouched beside her. Mr Deben and co seemed to have left. Mr Reid was standing by the grave looking expectantly at me.  
“Ms Blake, what on earth is going on?” Parkes asked.  
“Nothing to worry about. Are you ready to have Mr Reid returned?”  
“But you were attacked by that…that wolf.” Mrs Reid sputtered.  
“And now we need to lay your husband to rest.” I looked at her sincerely. I turned to Mr Parkes. “Perhaps you should see Mrs Reid to her car.” He did and they thanked me as they left. I put Mr Reid back with a minimum amount of trouble but at the back of mind was the fact a lycanthrope had just attacked me. And not just any lycanthrope, a wolf. Guess that meant I was going to have to call Richard.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean Claude gets it in the neck (haha,get it?).

My next four raisings went fine; one of them was just for the wow factor but even that didn’t grate on my nerves as much as the attack had. I’d let Micah drive from the Reid raising so I could use my cell phone to call Richard. He wasn’t home but I really hadn’t expected him to be so I left a message. It was urgent. Call me on my cell or at home. I’d taken my usual lunch break at midnight and had fed the ardeur at Guilty Pleasures.  
“I’m assuming you are going to talk to Jean Claude at some point about all that happened today?” Micah said as we pulled up onto my driveway at three thirty.  
“Shit. I forgot I haven’t spoken to him. I’ll call him once we get in.”  
“And then to bed.”  
“And then to bed.” I repeated.  
“Ma petite, vous avez été attaqué par un loup, et vous m'appelle seulement maintenant?” He blurted when I told him what he’d missed.  
“In English, Jean Claude.” I rolled my eyes climbing onto the sofa beside Micah.  
“I simply said that you were attacked by a wolf and you only call me now?”  
“Don’t start; you’re in enough trouble as it is.”  
“Moi? What have I done, ma petite?”  
“Remember that real nice dream you sent me earlier?”  
“Of course, until we were interrupted…”  
“We were interrupted because it hurt and not only that I have a real nice set of fang prints on my throat.”  
“I do not understand. Did the wolf bite you?”  
“No, Jean Claude, you did.” He was quiet for long moments and I almost thought he’d hung up.  
“I do not understand how this could have happened, ma petite.”  
“Me neither but Jason almost ate me.”  
“I am truly sorry. I still do not know how…”  
“Okay, I get the idea. It's late, I’m tired and I have to have lunch with Ted tomorrow. I’ll come over after my raisings tomorrow night.” I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.  
“I will be at Guilty Pleasures in the early evening. I will see you there for your midnight feeding.”  
“Whatever, Jean Claude. Goodnight.” I hung up.  
“Go to bed.” Micah said taking the phone off me.  
“I can’t. I have to wait in case Richard calls back.”  
“When he calls back I’ll wake you.” He stood and pulled me to my feet. “Go get some rest. Morning will come too soon as it is.”  
“Alright.” I rolled my eyes. “You coming up?”  
“I’ll be up shortly. I just want to call Merle and let him know what’s going on.”  
“You sure that’s a good idea?” I raised my eyebrow at him. Merle was Micah’s personal bodyguard, so to speak, and if he found out Micah was bodyguarding me, well then he’d want to guard Micah and my entire life would become a circus. Sorry, more of a circus.  
“I’ll just tell him to be on the look out for any male weretigers because you have a warrant for one, but you’re not sure if he’s in town yet. He doesn’t need to know you’re in danger.”  
“Thanks, Micah.” I smiled.  
“You’re welcome.” We stared at each other for a moment then he closed the gap between us until we were not quite touching but a breath would have brought us together. He moved his right hand to cup my cheek and caressed it softly bringing a sigh from my lips. He brought his lips to mine in a soft, almost chaste kiss, barely a touch at all. He made no move to deepen the kiss or close the gap between our bodies. After a moment of the velvet soft brushes he moved his head back to stare into my eyes. “Go get some sleep. I’ll be up before you know it.”  
I left him to make his call and got ready for bed. The Pard weren’t here; we’d made sure I’d get a quiet night. By the time I was wearing my oversized t-shirt with the image of a wolf in the snow on it, a gift from Jason, and crawling into bed he came upstairs and started getting undressed himself. I lay under the covers watching him undress and knew he knew I was watching him. Every move was exaggerated and slow giving me good long looks at him, as more was uncovered. He finally finished undressing and climbed naked into bed beside me.  
“You can take that look out of your eyes too.” He smiled slightly. “You need to sleep more than you need sex right now.”  
“You sure about that?” I quirked an eyebrow at him.  
He laughed. “In about,” he checked his watch, “seven hours the ardeur is going to strike. We’ll make the most of it then.”  
“Spoilsport.” I said moving to rest my head against his chest.  
“I like to think of myself as more an energy conservation expert.” His voice rumbled through his chest against my ear.  
“Still a spoilsport.” I yawned. If he replied I didn’t hear him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut, smut, ardeur smut! Bit of talking at the end and cuddly penguins!

I was hungry, but not for food. My mind registered this thought before I opened my eyes, as soon as my conscious felt the warm body beside me. From the stirring deep inside me I knew it was almost midday, who needed an alarm clock when you had the ardeur? Micah had moved during the night to lie on his side, his arms holding me close to him. I moved one hand from his chest to trace a gentle line from the top of his ribcage to his hip. He started to stir beside me, his breathing changing from even breaths to a sigh.  
“That time already?” He murmured against my hair.  
“Uh huh.” I said laying a soft kiss on his chest.  
He planted a kiss atop my head and I felt the ardeur flow through me from the point his lips met my head in a rush of searing warmth. I licked a wet line up his chest to the hollow of his throat and he shuddered as the ardeur floated against him on my breath. He rolled us quickly so I was on top, it wasn’t the best angle for us to start but it would suffice for me to take my nightshirt off. I sat and straddled him as I pulled at the shirt, his hands trailing over my ribs and breasts as I bared them to him. I threw the insignificant item to the floor and lay against him kissing him hard on the lips. He had his fingers hooked in the waistband of my panties as he turned me onto my back and quickly relieved me of them. I glanced down the length of my body at him as he knelt between my knees, so large and yet not yet fully erect and it was almost too much. I rested my head back and groaned at the thought that all that flesh would soon be entering me, filling me completely. As that image passed through my mind I felt Micah move and his tongue flicked the length of me gently making me writhe against the bed, hands clenching at the sheet. I raised my hips as he lapped me up, bringing high keening sounds from my throat I’d only recently realised I was capable of. He teased and stroked me, inside and out, until the tight best began inside me, my hips raising involuntarily and it was only seconds before the orgasm took me in a hot rush.  
As the final shudder wracked my frame I glanced down to see him looking up at me through dark curls and lashes, a slight smile on his face, his chin rested on my abdomen.  
“Sated?” He asked huskily.  
“Hell no.” I said, sitting up quickly. The ardeur didn’t want my lust, it wanted his. He knelt up and I pushed him backwards making him lay down fully. He watched me with eyes dark with the knowledge of what I was about to do. I ran my tongue the length of him and his head fell back with a low groan. I encircled him low down and held him as my tongue darted over his head in quick wet strokes. I slid as much as I could of him into my mouth and rolled and sucked him for long moments as the ardeur drank him down. But it still wasn’t enough.  
I crawled up his body and lay the length of him. I kissed him catching his bottom lip between my teeth and tugged it slightly staring into his eyes. His hands traced up my spine with the ghost of a touch bringing goosebumps to already sensitive skin.  
“Micah.” I whispered and he turned us again so he was on top. He moved a little lower until I could feel the tip of him brushing against me. “Micah, please.” I murmured and he made his first movement into me.  
I was making inaudible sounds as he made his way inside me, each stroke my wetness letting him nudge his way further inside until there was no more room. He started a rhythm, slow but sure, drawing himself out of me completely then pushing back inside, making the ardeur scream for him to lose control. I tried to block it out, to enjoy every movement, the feel of him sliding inside me, his teeth against my collarbone…I cried out at that, the gentle nibbling and sucking making my breath come quicker, my heart pound faster.  
He trailed kisses to my ear and whispered, “More?”  
I tried to say yes but nothing came out, merely a slightly more articulated moan than before.   
“Tell me you want more, Anita.” I looked up into his eyes as he moved against me and slightly to one side, his pubic bone stroking my most sensitive spot.  
I swallowed hard, “More.” I whispered. “I want more.” He smiled down at me, eyes filled with lust and the knowledge that it I wanted him so badly.  
He moved out of me and deepened his stroke, bumping my clitoris with his pubic bone over and over. His lips moved over mine in a sensual kiss as his hand moved to my hip, his fingertips brushing the tops of my buttocks. His lips trailed down to suck and nibble at my chin then further, across my collarbone and onto my nipple, the rhythm of his body making me spasm against him but still he didn’t give himself over fully. He drew back slowly and pushed hard into me making me scream out his name, my hand grasping at his wrist where he held my hip.  
He moved us so he was behind me and knelt pulling me back onto his lap making me gasp out as our bodies touched in one solid line, the depth with which he touched me, a fulfilling sensation. He kissed me behind my ear, his breath brushing my hair, his hands roaming over the front of me; one hand cupping my breast, the other venturing lower.  
“Your beast calls to me, Nimir Ra.” He spoke so quietly it almost wasn’t words, just a breath of air against my skin. He held me still as I tried to move, teasing with his lack of movement. “As mine calls to you.” My answer was to push my beast through him bringing a degree of control back to me; combined with the ardeur it was a potent mix. He pushed me down onto my elbows suddenly, ramming into me with such a force I thought he’d come out the other side. I screamed long and hard, dropping my head onto my hands on the bed as the ardeur rushed over me and my beast through Micah.  
Finally his control fell, his rhythm becoming a random shuddering against and inside me and the ardeur fed. It drank him down where his hips met my buttocks, where his thighs touched mine, where his hands held my hips in an almost painful grip. Our beasts curled around one another feeling like velvet inside my skin. My body tightened one last time as Micah collapsed against me, his body pinning me to the bed. The ardeur fed, and fed well, drinking in his release. We lay relearning how to breath, our hearts pounding against our ribs as though trying to meet through my back and his chest. He kissed my cheek through sweaty curls and I lifted my head slightly so he could place his arms over mine then rested my head back on his forearms.  
As my blood pounding in my ears begun to subside a little I realised I could hear and feel him purring against my back. I laughed softly at that, it amused the hell out of me that he did it. I knew it meant he’d spent too long in leopard form, as did his eyes, but knew that was Chimera’s doing. Micah didn’t spend any more time in leopard form than was necessary, tending to go for half man form so we could at least still converse if he had to. He rolled onto his side and pulled me with him, his top arm draping over my stomach.  
“Can you make it to the bathroom yet?” He said kissing my cheek and I laughed.  
“You are kidding, I hope!”  
He chuckled himself then. “Good point. Me neither.”  
We lay still for long moments until the ringing of the phone. I groaned and slid out of the comfort of his arms and crawled towards it. He slapped my butt lightly as I went making me turn a mock frown on him.  
“Hello?” I said as I put the handset to my ear.  
“Anita, you called?” it was Richard.  
“Yeah and I said it was urgent.” I moved to sit against the headboard and Micah moved closer to me, fingertips tracing circles on my hip.  
“I was busy.” His tone was cold. “What was it?”  
“I’m still Bolverk, right?”  
“Of course. And Lupa…for now.”  
“Then how come a wolf tried to take me out last night?”  
He was quiet for the longest time then sighed. “I didn’t know that. I’ll see what I can glean from the lukoi for you.”  
“I’d appreciate it. I have enough to worry about right now without those who are meant to be my people trying to take me out as well.”  
“Did they touch you?” I could almost imagine him frowning, but not quite. I still wasn’t use to seeing him without all his chestnut hair.  
“Ripped through the collar of my coat.”  
“I’ll come over and take a…sniff.” He said. “Perhaps I’ll recognise their scent.”  
“I’m going out in…” I checked the clock. “Dammit, in five minutes! Gotta go, Richard. I’ll call you later.” I hung up before he could say anything else.  
“Ted’s going to be here in five, huh?” Micah said raising an eyebrow.  
“Yep.”  
“Okay, I’ll use the downstairs bathroom; you jump in the shower up here.” He grabbed some clothes and we both made our shaky way to get ready.  
Becca was sitting on my bed when I came out wearing only towels, her little feet dangling over the side of the bed.  
“Ted said I had to come and tell you to hurry up.”  
“Alright, I’ll get dressed now.” I took a blouse out of the closet and a pair of black jeans that were so new they still looked like midnight skies.  
“Are they all your penguins?” She said pointing to the love seat.  
“Yep.” I said sliding on underwear under the towel. It didn’t seem like she was going to leave me to get ready in peace.  
“What are they all called?”  
I ended up making names up for half of them, once you pass your teens you just don’t name every cuddly toy you own…except Sigmund of course. Finally I added a little make up and even put boots on instead of Nikes and turned to look at Becca sitting on floor amongst the well dressed birds. “Okay, Becca, time to go downstairs. I’ll be down in a minute.”  
“Can I take one of your penguins to lunch?” slehe looked up at me. How could I refuse those big eyes?  
“Sure. But you have to be careful with him, and not Sigmund. He needs to guard the house.”  
“Okay.” She got to her feet and selected a small penguin wearing a hat and scarf and left the room. I rolled my eyes. Kids. Who’d have them?   
Now she was gone I felt happier strapping on my weapons. I knew she saw me as a protector and as such that meant weapons but still, I didn’t want to be waving loaded guns and knives around in front of her.  
Micah came to the door, his curls as damp as my own, with a small smile on his lips. “Donna is flapping about being late.”  
“I’m done.” I said sliding on a suit jacket. It wouldn’t be as warm as my coat but that had teeth marks in the collar now.  
“You look lovely.” He said kissing my cheek so as not to smudge my lipstick.  
“I look like I always do.” I said as I walked past.  
“Exactly.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy families with the Forrester/Parnell clan.

The restaurant had a lot of wood, a kids play area out back and a kids soft play area inside. Kids ran between tables to and from their meals to the play areas, parents’ voices occasionally raising over the incessant chatter, giggling and occasional crying. I was sitting between Becca and Micah. Donna sat opposite Becca with Peter opposite me and Ted on the outside. I didn’t like being in the middle but Becca had insisted and at least Micah was on the outer edge. Between the two of them, Micah and Ted ought to be able to handle anything if it happened until I could get out of the seat.  
Edward had glanced at my bruised neck but left it without comment. The bruise had started to fade already but the two marks from Jean Claude still showed.  
We’d ordered food and I’d decided to go for burger and fries. It was just a case of when it showed up but it was a Saturday and as such absolutely packed out.  
“So you want Ted’s help on something?” Donna asked.  
I glanced at Edward with his nonchalant Ted smile and I had to hold back the desire to wipe it off his face.  
“Not really, no.” I said looking back at Donna and caught Edward’s eyes shoot to me quickly. “He just seems to have it in his head that I can’t take care of a problem without him.”  
“Anita can take care of problems.” Becca said without looking up from her penguin play. I picked up my coke and sipped it. “She’s a hard ass.”  
I sprayed coke all over the table and slightly onto Peter.  
“Becca, that’s naughty!” Donna said glaring at her. “Where did you hear that?”  
Becca looked up with her bottom lip quivering, eyes wide.   
“Ted said it when he was in Anita’s yard yesterday.” Tears were brimming and threatening to spill over.  
“You heard us talking in the yard?” Edward’s voice had gone hard, his eyes cold. I kicked him under the table. It wasn’t the kind of look you gave a kid, regardless of what she might have heard.  
“What else did you hear, Becca?” I asked softly, putting an arm around her.   
She seemed to shrink against my arm and glanced at her mother, to Ted and then back again. “Just that Anita won’t give Ted any action and Anita said if she did Mommy would kill her.”  
It was Micah’s turn to spray coke everywhere but he managed to aim it at the floor. I felt Donna’s angry gaze fall on me as I patted Micah’s back with my hand, the other still round Becca.  
“Peter, would you take Becca to play?” Ted asked, his eyes not leaving Donna.  
“Sure.” Peter said carefully. “Come on, Becca.” And they left us for ‘adult talk’.  
“It’s not how it sounds.” Edward said softly.  
“Really?” Donna looked between the two of us, the anger lining her face and adding five years.  
“Really.” I said. “We were talking work.”  
“I’m listening.” She folded her arms over her chest.  
“I don’t want you brought in on this Donna.” Edward looked at her.  
I shook my head. “And I don’t want you in, Ted, it’s too dangerous and it’s not your problem.”   
“I’m still waiting.” Donna said impatiently.  
“Fine.” I said and looked at her. “Zebrowski who was at my place yesterday is a cop. He has a warrant of execution for me to carry out if the were comes to town. Now said were is my ex-fiancé who is apparently on a rampage murdering his ex-girlfriends. Ted wanted to help and I said no because you’re on vacation.”  
She looked from me to Ted then asked; “Is this true?”  
“Yeah it’s true.” Edward said glancing between the two of us. “I offered to help Anita because she’s a friend and I don’t want to see her killed.” He looked at me. “And I owe her one for Santa Fe.”  
“You don’t owe me a thing.”   
We stared at each other across the table for several moments until Micah said; “Okay, so Anita has a problem Ted thinks he can help with but Anita is refusing his help because he’s on vacation.”  
“And because she’s so darned stubborn.” Edward said with a slight smile. Darned? Okay, that was Ted, not Edward.  
“And if I let you get killed when on your vacation Donna will kill me.” I glared at him.  
“See?” Edward said exasperatedly. “This is exactly what Becca overheard.”  
Donna looked hard into his eyes then her face softened. “If this is true…”  
“Anita, show her the warrant.” Micah said softly.  
I sighed and took it out of my wallet and handed it to Donna. She looked it over and handed it back. “The validation date was yesterday.” She said. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.” She shook her head. “But Anita’s right. I won’t be happy if you ditch out on our vacation to go monster hunting.” She turned to me. “Ted’s right too though. We owe you. If there’s any help any of us can give…”  
“Thanks, Donna, but really, if he comes to town I kill him, it’s that simple.”  
“I don’t mind, Anita. If anything happened to you and Ted could have prevented it…” she looked down at her hands. “I couldn’t forgive myself.”  
I rolled my eyes. “Guys, I don’t need protecting.” I felt Micah touch my arm gently and I turned to look at him. He didn’t say anything but he didn’t need to. He thought I should let Edward help out but wouldn’t voice this opinion. He’d agreed to be with me whatever and however but that didn’t mean he didn’t worry about me. And after last night…  
“Fine, you tell him.” I said frowning.  
“Anita was attacked by a wolf while out on a raising last night.” Micah said but didn’t take his eyes off me. I on the other hand busied myself mopping up the coke I’d spat.  
“Tell me.” Ted said and Micah explained. He didn’t add anything about me being careless and running after it on my own like Richard would have done, just that we’d chased the wolf but thought it looked too risky to follow so didn’t.  
“This puts a new light on it.” Ted had slid back to Edward, eyes cold. “This either means someone else is after you or your ex has help.”  
“I’m not discussing it here.” I shook my head. “And I have someone with his ear to the ground lycanthropically speaking trying to find out if anyone has it in for me right now.” I stared pointedly at Edward. He nodded and I knew he understood. Donna’s husband had been killed by a werewolf and if I outwardly said ‘my ex-fiancé who’s head werewolf is looking into it’ she might have looked at me different, not to mention it might upset her.  
“Alright. After lunch we’ll discuss it. But I’m in on this, whether you want me there or not.” He pointed a finger at me.  
I stared at him for long moments, his cold blue eyes staring into my dark brown. “I don’t like it. But alright.”  
Donna sighed. “I’m glad that’s sorted.” She reached over and squeezed my hand. “I’d hate to see anything happen to you when we could have helped.” Edward and I turned to her as one.  
“You’re not getting directly involved here, Donna.” Ted said frowning.  
“I meant the royal we.” She said, pouting at him.  
A waiter arrived with the first of the food and Donna went to get Peter and Becca.  
“I don’t need this, Edward. Stay out of it.”  
“You have at least two weres after you right now.” He glared at me angrily.  
“It’s a hell of a lot less than normal.” I said my voice rising in response to his anger.  
“Can’t you talk some sense into her?” Edward looked at Micah.  
“Anita does what she wants, I’ve known her a matter of months and I know that. I support her decisions.”  
“Shit, no wonder she likes you so much.” Edward shook his head. “I’m in, Anita.”  
I sighed. I wasn’t going to win but I was going to make sure he knew I wasn’t happy.  
“Alright, Edward, you’re in. But I’m calling the shots.”  
He stared at me again his eyes going hard, the skin around them tightening. “No.”   
“Then you’re out.” I said standing. Just as I did Donna came back with the kids and another waiter brought some more plates.  
“We’ll discuss this after lunch.” Edward said as Becca climbed back onto her chair.  
“Is Anita in trouble?” Becca said looking at Edward as Ted slid back into his eyes.  
“No, pumpkin,” he smiled, “she just needed to stand and stretch. She’s fine now. Right?” He turned his gaze back to me.  
“Right.” I said sinking back to the seat but I didn’t take the anger out of my eyes. He was treating me like a rookie, as though I couldn’t look after myself. He was so going to get it later.  
Dinner was quiet, as though Becca and Peter could pick up the tension between Edward and myself and knew enough not to push any buttons. Finally the socialising was over and Donna gathered the kids together to take back to the hotel.  
“But I wanna stay with ‘Nita.” Becca pouted. It was way cuter than when her mom did it.  
“Ted and Anita have business to discuss. We’ll see them later.” Donna said lifting her from the chair. “Give Anita back her penguin and thank her for letting you play with it.”  
“Thank you.” She said holding the stuffed animal out to me, bottom lip poking out.  
“It’s okay, Becca. You can look after him until later, if you like.” I smiled slightly as her face brightened.  
“I’ll look after him. I’ll put him for a nap when we get back and I’ll make sure he’s good.” She was grinning broadly.  
“Alright.” I nodded. “See you later.”  
They left and the real work began.  
“First thing you need to do is get Richard to confirm if this is a pack member or not. Assuming it was Richard you were talking about.”  
“It was.” I nodded. “I need to get him to sniff my coat see if he recognises the scent. If not it’s back to the drawing board.”  
“Couldn’t you just do that?” Edward turned to Micah.  
“I could but we wouldn’t glean much from it.” he shrugged. “I don’t know the scent of the lukoi except in general. I can’t identify one from another. Now if it had been a leopard…”  
“Alright, I get the point. So what else is new? What else do we have to go on?”  
“Nothing.” I stared at him, blank faced.  
“Nothing?”  
“Nothing.”  
“Then you’d better contact Richard.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Intruders and a pissed off ulfric.

As soon as I pulled onto the driveway I realised something was wrong. Richard had agreed to meet us at my place in an hour and Edward tagged along…after we’d popped by his hotel to pick up some extra weaponry. There were no cars on the drive but then there was no reason for there to be. The Pard came and went as they liked so I wasn’t expecting them either to be here or not. Still, there was something.  
“Anita?” Micah said softly. I knew he’d noticed the fine tension the moment it struck me and was now alert beside me.  
“I don’t know.”   
I realised Edward had unbuckled his seat belt and had his gun in his hand. He was almost in the front he was leaning through the seats so far. “But you obviously sensed something’s wrong.”  
“Yeah, something. But I don’t know what.”  
“Then we go in ready for anything.” Edward jacked a bullet into the chamber dramatically.  
I had my Browning in my hand as I moved around the side of the building, Micah just behind me. Edward had insisted on taking the front door while we went round the back. I didn’t like it but he was bigger than me. Not that that normally stopped me.  
We crouched by the side of the raised decking under the kitchen window. There’s a large picture window in the kitchen meaning as soon as we hit the decking we’d be visible. Edward had said give him a fifty count then go in the back door, giving him time to get in the front door and hopefully attract out any intruders then we could come in from the rear as back up. Yeah, I thought the idea sucked too.  
I got to forty and looked at the door. It looked like one of the panes near the handle was broken.  
“Looks like someone’s been in.” I breathed. It was quieter than a whisper but I knew Micah had heard. He moved up close beside me so his lips were at my ear. My hearing was good but not as good as his and we still didn’t want to be heard.  
“I can smell them in the air but nothing more. Its not the same were as last night, I don’t think.”  
I nodded once and stood, ducking under the rail and standing on the decking. We were at the door in an instant. It was ajar so we pushed it in quietly and stepped over the broken glass. Dammit, my glazier was making a fortune out of me lately. I scanned the room with my Browning as I heard Edward come in through the front door none too gently. I wondered if I’d have a dent in my nice shiny door. There was no one in the kitchen and I nodded Micah through to the lounge, moving out to the hall where Edward was already on the stairs. I moved to the side to cover him as he went up them, my gun trained on the top of the stairs.  
Micah came out of the lounge behind me and I murmured; “bathroom.” and felt him move to check it out. Edward nodded me up the stairs and I followed as quietly as I could; the boots I had on were almost as quiet as my Nikes, but then they’d been custom made. I caught a slight scent and knew he’d been here, or at least someone I wasn’t used to had been.  
Edward moved to the first door, my room, thrumming with an energy that had nothing to do with the preternatural but everything to do with being a professional. The door was pulled to slightly and I moved to crouch beside him, to cover him as he opened the door. The scent here was stronger and I knew they’d been in my room. Edward sidestepped pushing the door open fully with his hip and shoulder. We scoured the room in opposite directions with practised eyes and came up blank. We did the same for each of the spare rooms and the bathroom but the scent only hung around my room.  
“We’re clear.” Edward said but didn’t put up his gun.  
I went back to my room as Micah came to the top of the stairs. “He went through the lounge then straight up here. I don’t get an overwhelming scent of him anywhere else downstairs. Just here.” He looked into my room and I glanced around at the actual room itself, instead of looking for something in the room. Nothing seemed disturbed but one thing did catch my eye, a small object in the centre of the bed. I walked forward with my Browning by my leg but I thought I already knew what was there. I put up the gun and placed a knee on the bed. I picked up the item and stared at it, sinking to sit down.  
“What is it?” Micah asked coming up beside me.  
“It’s a chunk of the coat I had on last night.” I sighed handing it to him.  
“They know where you live.” Edward said. “It’s not safe for you to stay here. I’ll get you a room at the hotel we’re staying at.”  
I wanted to argue that it would be okay but I knew it wouldn’t. They, whoever they were, knew where I lived and had been here, looking for me. Damn.  
Micah and I packed an overnight bag and then Edward and I packed a bag of weapons. While we did Micah called various members of the Pard to make sure they wouldn’t come over to my place until further notice. Then he called Merle to tell him we were going to stay at a hotel. Of course, he wanted to come and help, that is he wanted to make sure Micah didn’t get killed. Who watches the watcher, huh? So Micah ran it past Edward and shock horror, he agreed. Maybe good ole Ted was mellowing with old age. Or maybe he just thought we needed all the help we could get…now that was a scary thought. Either way Merle was going to meet us at the hotel.  
Oh and I called Richard too. He was actually home and on the way to the hotel we were going to drop by and see if he recognised the scent on my coat, that way we didn’t need to spend any more time at my place than was necessary. That being said though I was not looking forward to it. Richard hadn’t been himself lately and mostly it was my fault. I was Bolverk to his pack, which is like an enforcer, someone who carries out punishment of pack members. Read that as I do Richard’s killing for him. He’d been wolf enough to take the job as Ulfric, wolf king, but was he wolf enough to keep it? I just wasn’t sure anymore. He had the best intentions of the pack at heart but…well its old territory I could go over a million times and still not be any better off. I’d just do what I could for the lukoi, as always.  
He answered the door wearing jeans and a dark green sweater. I wondered if he’d done it on purpose, it had always been one of my favourites, but since he’d gone in for self-pity and maimed his hair…well he was hardly the same man anymore.  
The three of us went through to his kitchen with Micah carrying the bag containing the coat. Richard had looked over the three of us and I tasted his jealousy almost immediately. He got it under control quick enough but it was too late, I felt the urge to clean my teeth to get rid of the flavour.  
“What’s going on?” Richard frowned at us.  
“We brought you the coat, like I said we would.” I said, frowning slightly.  
“Anita, if one person had attacked you, you wouldn’t be walking round with Death at your back. Now what’s going on?”  
“I’m just a little jumpy.” I shrugged. “And Edward was in town.”  
Richard stared at me for long moments, his face as cold as I’d ever seen it. “Why do you even bother lying?”  
“Old habit. Now are you going to sniff this coat or not?”  
He took the bag off Micah without taking his eyes off me and pulled out the coat. He moved it around to hold the collar and breathed gently over it. His chocolate brown eyes were still staring into mine and I fought the urge to look away.   
“Still wearing Oscar de la Renta.” He stated.  
“I’m kept in a good supply.”   
He nodded and scented the coat again, this time closing his eyes. His frown deepened. “It’s wolf but not lukoi. At least not Thronnos Rokke.” He folded the coat neater than it had been before and put it back in the bag. “If someone from outside petitions to join the pack I’ll check them out. If it’s your wolf, I’ll let you know.”  
“Thanks.” I said as Micah took the bag again.  
He saw us out without so much as a comment and shut the door as soon as we were through it.  
“Dammit, he took your break up hard.” Edward said as we got in the jeep.  
“You don’t know the half of it.” I sighed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita gets an unexpected client, an unexpected call an unexpected argument.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay it's more an unexpected raised voices incident, not an all out argument, but it didn't look as good!

Micah unpacked the bags while I called my office and asked our weekend secretary to send the details of the raisings to me here at the hotel. It’d save me calling in for them. Edward had managed to secure us the room next to the interconnecting rooms he, Donna and the kids had, for a considerable ‘concession’. I made them confirm the room on my credit card however. If I had to be here at least I could pay my own way.  
I called Zebrowski too and told him I was at a hotel. He said he’d get some officers to drive by my house every now and then just in case. He did confirm however that Jon was now in town, he just hadn’t had a stitch of luck trying to find where he might be. But we knew was he was in town. That was something I guess.  
I called Dad too and confirmed the name of the restaurant for tomorrow. The table was booked for one thirty.  
One of the buss boys brought up the paperwork as soon as it came and I glanced over the list. One name surprised me so much I called the office again.  
“Craig, it’s Anita again. My number six tonight, Mr Dean?”  
“What about him?”  
“Is it the guy I saw yesterday?”  
“Hold on, I’ll check.” I listened to our cheesy hold music for a moment then Craig came back on the line. “It’s the same guy, Anita.”  
“How’d he get an opening so fast?”  
“I don’t know. Sorry.”  
“Okay, don’t worry. Thanks.” I hung up.  
“The guy who creeped you out yesterday is number six tonight huh?” Micah said taking me in a hug from behind.  
“Yeah.” I frowned and held his arms to me. “I still can’t place what was wrong there. I thought I’d get another couple of weeks to figure it out though.”  
Micah stilled against me suddenly and I felt him cock his head to one side. Then he sighed against me and kissed the back of my head. “It’s Merle.” He said a fraction of a second before there was a knock on the door.  
“Sometimes I wish I could do that.” I said as I went to answer it.  
“It’s handy when salesmen come around.” He said and I glanced back to see him grinning at me.  
Merle stepped through the door as soon as I opened it, his broad six-foot frame filling the doorway. He was wearing a plaid shirt and blue jeans and jacket so faded they were almost white. His greying white hair and Vandyke moustache seemed to soften a face that held eyes as cold as any winter sky.  
“What kind of trouble are you in now?” He said turning his gaze on me as I shut the door.  
“If you’re here to criticise Merle you can fuck off now.” I said, face blank.  
He smiled slightly then, a small upturning of his lips. “No criticism, Anita, you’re just always in some kind of trouble, that’s all. At least this time you called me.”  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I could feel anger building. When Merle acted like Micah wasn’t safe with me, like I deliberately endangered him, it ticked me off.  
“It means my job is to watch over Micah and I seem to need to do that more often since he met you.”  
“Guys, please; we have enough problems without this.” Micah came up beside me, a worried expression on his face.  
“Yeah, but they’re my problems and if you weren’t here, Merle wouldn’t have a problem.” I said this without taking my eyes off Merle.  
Merle didn’t answer for the longest time. Finally he said; “That’s right.”  
“Then it’s settled. You two can leave and I’ll stay here with Edward.” I walked between them but Micah caught my arm.  
“Anita, please, I know you’re upset but…”  
“But nothing.” I said turning around to face him. “Don’t get me wrong, I like Merle when he’s not being an asshole, but right now his snide remarks about me making your life more dangerous are the last thing I need. It’ll be easier if you both leave.”  
He stepped in closer not letting go of my arm. I think he realised if he let me go I’d walk away again. He spoke softly, looking into my eyes as he did so. “You’re my Nimir Ra. Your problem is my problem; I thought we’d agreed that.”  
“Maybe I have more problems than we can or should share.” His touch was slowly taking the fight out of me as the connection between us flared.  
He caressed my face with his hand and it was all I could do not to lean into it, close my eyes and kiss his palm. “Anita, compared to the problem I brought to you when we first met this is nothing. I’m your Nimir Raj, for want of a better analogy, for better or for worse. And Merle had better damn well get use to it.”  
I sighed slightly and resisted the urge to let my shoulders sag. “I know you’re only trying to protect me, Micah, but…” I shook my head and he moved his hand from my arm to the back of my head to cup it as I did so. “While it’s great to have an extra pair of hands and eyes Merle will be no good if he’s worried about you. I need people here with their eye on the ball, not someone who’s watching the goalpost.”  
Micah laughed so suddenly it made me jump. “So I’m a goalpost now?” His eyes were shining with amusement, at my analogy I hoped, not at me.  
“You know what I mean.” I frowned some more but as he stepped in to me I knew it wouldn’t last.  
“I know what you mean.” He said his eyes serious again as he cupped my face with both hands. “And Merle is going to watch over both of us from now on as he should. We’re one clan, and if our chief enforcer won’t watch over both the Nimir Ra and Raj, well if you don’t kick his ass I will.” I smiled slightly then and he place a soft kiss on my lips then turned to look at Merle but didn’t let me go. “And as for you, Merle, if anything happens and Anita is harmed but I’m not you’ll be punished for it, regardless of whether you could have prevented it or not. Understood?”  
“Understood.” Merle nodded once. He didn’t look happy but then what choice did he have?  
Edward came through the door and looked at us for a moment as if trying to gauge what he’d missed. “So what's going on?”  
“I got my raisings for this evening.” I said walking to the table and the list.  
“You’re still going on your raisings after last night?” Edward frowned at me.  
“I can’t cancel, it’s our busiest time. And with you three there looking the good the bad and the badder I’m hardly likely to get attacked.”  
“What happened last night?” Merle frowned. I guess Micah had only told him about Jon and not the mysterious wolf. I sat at the table to study my list as Micah regaled Merle with the whole story. “So we’re looking out not only for a tiger but a rogue wolf?”  
“Looks that way.” Micah said.  
Edward slid into the chair opposite me and I could see him frowning. “What’s on your mind, Ted?” I put a real emphasis on his ‘name’.  
“This worries me a little. Two strange lycanthropes after you at one time, one you know who it is, one you don’t. Normally when there’s a lycanthrope I’m after around St Louis and I need info I ask you. But you’re as in the dark as me on this one.”  
“Can’t we just set up a trap?” I asked.  
“With you as bait?” Micah said coming over to us.  
“Well, duh.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m the one they’re after.”  
“It might work.” Merle said and I knew what he meant was; ‘it’ll keep Micah out of direct danger.’ Despite Micah’s little pep talk he still thought of Micah first. Not that I wanted his protection but it was his job within the Pard, just as it was my job to be Nimir Ra.  
“Of course it’d work. Only question is would we be able to get to Anita before any damage was done.” Micah looked back at Merle.  
“We can throw around ideas all afternoon, gentlemen, but the point remains that Anita is probably going to get attacked whether we’re there or not.” Edward interrupted. “It seems likely to me that the wolf will attack regardless of where Anita is; it proved that last night by going for her in front of five witnesses. It might have been an opportunist, perhaps couldn’t pass up the chance of taking out the Executioner. Or it might be that your ex has a friend in town with him…or maybe more than one.”  
“I don’t think so. Jon’s profile is that of a lover scorned, he likes to do things personally.” I said.  
“But you didn’t scorn him.” Micah slid into the seat beside me.  
“Doesn’t matter.” I shook my head. “In his head all the women he’s killing have hurt him in some way. Mental hurt, physical hurt, it’s all interchangeable to a psycho.”  
“You’ve been hanging out with the cops too long.” Edward said shaking his head.  
“Funny they say the same thing about you.” I quirked an eyebrow at him.   
“All I’m saying is I don’t think we’ll need to lay a trap, although it might put Jon off attacking if you’re in a group which kind of defeats the idea of you executing him.”  
“So a trap then.”  
They all looked between themselves then Edward finally said; “Not so much a trap, we just let you do what you’d normally do but we follow you. I’m sure if anyone can be sneaky it’s a couple of wereleopards.”  
Micah looked about to argue the fact but was cut off by my cell phone ringing. It was a number I didn’t recognise but then it could have been anyone, and it was here in St Louis at least.  
“Hello?”  
“Anita?” I froze. I hadn’t heard the voice in years but it was still the same. I felt my eyes go wide as I looked at Edward across the table.  
“Yeah, who is this?” I said frantically pointing at the phone. Micah moved closer to me, not enough to crowd but I knew he’d be able to hear every word.  
“It’s Jon, Jon Andrews.”  
“Long time no hear.” I said eventually.  
“How are you?”  
He wanted to do small talk? Well, okay. Edward was nodding. “I’m good. You?”  
“Fine. Listen I’m in town on business and was wondering if we could get together, you know, for old time’s sake.”  
“Old times sake? Jon we’ve not spoken in years. Our break up wasn’t exactly amicable.” I tried to act like I was surprised by his coming to town. Edward was nodding as if I was doing the right thing. So glad I had his approval.  
“I know and I always felt bad about that. I’d like to make it up.” His voice sounded almost exactly as I remembered it, perhaps a little deeper, more worldly, but still Jon.  
“Dinner perhaps?”  
“I’m really busy right now, Jon. I could do lunch but not dinner.”  
“So you’ll meet me?”  
I sighed. “Alright, but as long as this isn’t some weird contact your ex crises shit.”  
“It’s not. How about tomorrow?”  
“I have plans tomorrow afternoon. But I could do Monday.”  
“Hmm, Monday might be cutting it a bit fine. How about breakfast tomorrow? I know its Sunday but I’d really like to get together.”  
“Sorry. It’s Monday or nothing. I’m very busy.”  
“And I appreciate you taking the time to fit me in, Anita. I hear you’re a big shot animator.”  
“I am. And what is it you do these days, Jon?”  
“Finance Executive.”  
“Impressive.” I said rolling my eyes at the room. “So are we on for Monday or not?”  
“Sure. I can rearrange my schedule. I know this great little bar that does a great meal. The Lunatic Café, you heard of it?”  
“I’ll find it.” I said. Of course I’d heard of it, my other ex-fiancé now owned it.  
“Shall we say twelve?”  
“Actually later would be better. How about two?” I said as Micah nodded.  
“Alright, two o’clock. I look forward to it.”  
“Before you go, Jon, how did you get my number?”  
“Its amazing what you can find if you know the right people.” He said. “Until Monday then.” And hung up.   
“Why later?” Edward said as I set the phone on the table.  
“I have something to do at midday.” He frowned at me but I frowned right back.  
“Am I misunderstanding the situation here or did you just make an appointment with this guy for his execution?” Merle asked.  
“Well, actually he thinks it’s a lunch date but yeah, pretty much.” I smiled.  
“It sounds pretty easy.” Edward said but the frown still hadn’t left his face. “Where are you meeting him?”  
“The Lunatic Café. I’ll call Richard and get him to make sure the place is deserted at two. Then he can walk in and I’ll shoot him without worrying about clientele.”  
“A lycanthrope has invited you to a lycanthrope run establishment?”  
“Yes but said lycanthrope establishment is run by my ex-fiancé whose pack I also help out. It’s not like I’m walking into Narcissus’ place.”  
“Who?” Edward frowned.  
“Werehyena. Runs a dominance and submissives place over the river.”  
“Didn’t realise you were into that kind of thing.” He smiled slightly.  
“Edward all we ever play is dominance games. But I wasn’t there for me. I was there to…pick up my leopards.”  
“I assume you had some sort of trouble.”  
“Not that I want to discuss with you.”  
“But going into Narcissus’ place would be bad. I’ll remember that.”  
“Just make sure you do.”  
“Bad as in bad for you or bad in general?”  
“Bad as in what will happen if you don’t drop the subject.” I said standing. “Now if you don’t mind I have to call Richard…again. And then I have to go on my raisings.” I walked away towards the main body of the room.  
“What kind of trouble have you had since Santa Fe, Anita?”  
I stopped in my tracks. “Nothing I want to discuss with you.”  
“I can find out but I’d rather you told me yourself.”  
I turned angrily to him. “The people who would know wouldn’t talk to you about it, Edward, so you can’t find out. It was private and you’re not my dad or my brother so you can’t demand I tell you anything.”  
“No, but I worry more than they do.” He said standing and striding over to me. “They don’t know what you’re up against every single hour of every single day. No one understands what you go through better than I do.”  
“Bite me.” I said turning on my heel and slamming the door behind me.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weirdly, Donna gives Anita clarity.

I’d called Richard but got no answer. He was probably out spelunking or some other wholesome pastime. I’d try again later. I was sitting in the lounge bar with a cup of steaming coffee when I heard my name being called. I turned to see Becca running towards me with Donna and Peter just behind. Great. I did not need to play happy Auntie ‘Nita right now.  
Becca threw herself at me and I held her in a hug. She was talking about where they’d been and what Mommy had bought her. I listened but continued to hold her close and realised my bottom lip was quivering.  
“Becca, let Anita breathe.” Donna said, sliding into the armchair opposite me. Becca sat back but stayed on my lap, talking about the new dress she’d got. “Peter take Becca to the room for a nap.” She said not taking her eyes off me.  
“Alright.” Peter sighed. I wanted to tell Donna that I didn’t want to be alone with her because I thought I knew what she was going to say but I didn’t. I don’t know why, but I didn’t.  
“But I wanted to tell ‘Nita about the pet store with the parrot and the…”  
“You can tell her later.” Donna said looking pointedly at Becca. I remembered that look. The look a parent gives you that says ‘don’t push it’. I used to get that look a lot from Judith. In fact at times I still did.  
Becca complained a little as Peter took her towards the elevators. Donna was looking in her extensive handbag for something and finally came out with a tissue, which she handed to me.  
“Just in case.” She said with a smile.  
That sobered me a little. Okay, a lot. “I'm not going to cry in a public bar.” I said looking straight at her.  
“I know. But just in case. What happened?”  
“Nothing.”  
“Anita, I might not know you very well but something has got you upset if you’re sitting down here in the bar when there’s a job to be done…it's not like you. Now what happened?”  
“Ted and I had a fight.” I sighed.  
“What about?”  
“About me not telling him every single detail of my life.” I said. Anger at Edward was slowly leaking back and while I felt like I was tattling on him, I didn’t care.  
“What was it he wanted you to tell him?” She frowned slightly.  
“I’m not telling you either.” I said, picking up my coffee.  
“I don’t want details, Anita, just what he was enquiring about.”  
“He wanted to know what’s happened since Santa Fe.”  
“That’s all?”  
“A lot has happened since Santa Fe, Donna. I don’t want to tell Ted or you or anyone about it.”  
“What about Micah?”  
“What about Micah?” I frowned.  
“Would you tell Micah?”  
“Micah knows, he was there. Hell, Micah was part of it.”  
“Is it because you think Ted will be jealous?”  
“Jealous?” I stared at her in disbelief. “Why would Ted be jealous?” Realisation dawned slowly. “It’s not relationship stuff. It’s bounty-hunting stuff. Kind of.”  
“Kind of?”  
“Yeah, kind of.” I stared at her.  
“I know we’re not friends Anita, not really. But if you want an opinion I’ll give you one. Ted cares about you and you care about him. He’s always said there’s never been anything sexual between you and while I don’t know if that’s true of not, there’s something in the way you look at each other that is more than friendship. He wants to protect you and I can understand that. But it’s more. Maybe it comes from having to kill or be killed, from each having held the others life in your hands. I don’t know. Whatever it is though, you both have it. And it falls somewhere between friendship and love.”  
“It’s like a higher respect.” I nodded. I was thinking back to Santa Fe when Edward had called me his soulmate. “But it still doesn’t mean I want him poking his nose in.”  
“You’re a very private person, Anita. Ted is too. There’s a lot about him I don’t know and really I’m not sure I want to know. But he does hold a certain morbid curiosity.” She smiled. “To be completely honest I think for him its one big pissing contest.” I started at that. I’d never heard Donna swear before. “The two of you try and prove who’s tougher or scarier or done more or whatever. Normally that kind of thing is reserved for just men. But I think Ted maybe, just maybe, thinks you might be as good as, if not better than him. I think that both worries him and makes him proud at the same time.”  
“I still don’t want to tell him everything.” I said shaking my head. “But you’re right, I think.” I put down my coffee cup, now empty. “Guess I’d better go talk to him before I have to go to work.”  
I walked from the lounge to the lobby to find Micah sitting on one of the benches there. He stood as I approached and offered me a hand, which I took without hesitation. “How long have you been sitting out here?”  
“Since I followed you down here a few minutes after you left. I didn’t want to encroach on your private time but I wanted to keep an eye on you, just in case.”  
Normally that kind of comment would have pissed me off but I knew he was just doing what he’d promised to do, and what I’d agreed to.   
“I'm not stupid enough to go wandering around without back up with something like this going on. I just needed to be away from Edward.”  
“I know.” He kissed my knuckles softly. “Why don’t you want to tell him about what happened? With Chimera and Musette?”  
“Because he won’t understand. Especially not the Musette stuff, but if I tell him you came to town with some bad guy who wanted me first as a mate then to kill me he’d stop trusting you.”  
“Which would be bad.” He nodded.  
“Yep.” I sighed. “Edward’s a monster but not in the same way we are.” I looked into his chartreuse eyes as I said it.  
“You’re not a monster, Anita.” He smiled wistfully.  
“I smell, taste and hear things like a lycanthrope.” I stepped up close to him so our bodies touched, my face blank. “I feed on lust as surely as any vampire feeds on blood. I raise the dead as easily as breathing. How can you say I’m not a monster?”  
His hand moved up to caress my cheek. “You care too much to be a monster.”  
“There are lots of different kinds of monster, Micah. Edward and I just aren’t the same kind any more.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward doesn't understand and Richard is a little helpful.

I’d completed my first three raisings and was ready for my ‘lunch’ break.  
“I always spend my lunch at Guilty Pleasures.” I said. “I get to see Jean Claude.”  
“But today isn’t exactly a normal day.” Edward argued. “You’d be better off going back to the hotel for your break.”  
“We’re going to Guilty Pleasures, Edward. End of story.”  
“How about if I take Anita to see Jean Claude and you and Merle go check out the next cemetery? Make sure no one’s lurking?” Micah suggested and Edward glared at him. “I’ll keep her safe.”  
“I’m not letting her out of my sight.” Edward sneered.  
“Then you’re coming to Guilty Pleasures.” I said, getting in the jeep and slamming the door. He was still muttering as he got in the passenger side. Micah and Merle followed in Merle’s car. If we were all in one car and someone decided to take us out we’d all be dead, including the back up, and what good would that be?  
I could feel the ardeur starting to sneak up on me as we pulled into the district. I hoped it held off long enough for me to get inside or I’d be jumping Edward where he sat. Wonder how he’d take that? I’d rather not find out. I ran up the entrance steps with the others close behind.  
“Anita, what’s the hurry?” I heard Edward say but I was already through the door. Jean Claude knew I was here and he came out of the office as I went through the door.  
“Backstage.” I said rushing past him. He followed me without a word and I hoped that Micah would keep Edward with him out the front or in Jean Claude’s office.  
The pounding of my heart echoed the beating of the music as we approached the stage. I got as near the curtains as I could without being seen and sat down to watch. Jean Claude moved up beside me and couched down. “Ma petite. You have a perfectly good table out front. Why come backstage?”  
“Edward.” I said simply.   
“You do not want him thinking you’ve come here just to watch the show.” He stated and I nodded as the lust from the audience poured over me. It felt good, as though a thirst was being sated, and I hated it.  
“He wouldn’t understand.” I murmured, my voice barely audible but I knew Jean Claude had heard just fine.  
“Indeed. Death is still very human in some matters.”  
I laughed slightly. That was true.  
“Hi, Anita.” Jason said as he came to stand beside us. He was dressed like an exaggerated work out commercial. Short shorts in bright red, a slightly cropped t-shirt in bright white, Velcro sneakers and head and wristbands. He should have looked silly, like an eighties throwback, but right now with the ardeur running through me he looked hot. He caught me looking and winked as he was announced then bounded onto the stage with that bouncy lycanthropic energy.  
The crowd screamed and I realised that Jason was definitely one of the more popular men who worked at Guilty Pleasures. The catcalls and whistles from the audience filled my senses as I drank the lust down like a fine wine. Jason was effortlessly doing push ups one handed with his legs spread far apart and I bit my bottom lip as I watched. Damn, he was good.   
As Jason tore off his Velcro-fastened shorts and threw them into the audience leaving only a scandalously small red thong, the ardeur died down, sated by the desire of the crowd for a man who had become one of my best friends. Who’d have thought he started out wanting to eat me? Difference was, a small voice at the back of my mind said, now you let him. I felt a blush searing my cheeks and Jean Claude chuckled slightly from beside me. Truth was I’d forgotten he was there.  
“You must be full, ma petite. You are suddenly embarrassed by the way you look at Jason.”  
“There’s something unnerving about watching your friend get undressed for a room full of strangers’ pleasure.” I said, getting to my feet.  
“When you are not hungry for said friend yourself.”  
I turned to look at him. He had an amused expression on his face and I knew it was at my expense. “I've got to go back to work.”  
“I am just teasing, ma petite.” He touched my arm gently.  
“I know.” I sighed. “I’ve just had a crappy couple of days.”  
“Are there any new developments?” He asked, his hand still just touching mine as though he wasn’t sure his touch was welcome. I stepped into him and wrapped my arms around him, my face pressed into the rough lace of his shirt. His arms folded around me immediately and he lightly kissed the top of my head.  
“I’m staying at the hotel with Edward and Micah. Someone had been in my place when we got home earlier. Then the ex called and said he’d like to meet up so I set up a date with him Monday.”  
I felt his arms stiffen around me. “You have agreed to meet with him when you know he wishes you dead?”  
“If I’m going to execute him I have to meet him.”  
“When?” He sighed.  
“Monday at two, at the Lunatic Café.”  
“Two am?”   
“No, two in the afternoon.”  
He made an exasperated sigh. “Ma petite, if you had made it in the morning I could have been there for back up, as Monsieur Edward is so fond of saying.”  
“But it’s nearly Halloween, Jean Claude.” I leant back from him. “I’m booked up to the back teeth as it is. Anyway, I’m going to get Richard to make sure the place is empty so he can just walk in and I can shoot him.”  
“I really do not think Richard will appreciate you shooting someone in his café, regardless of how little he has to do with the day to day running.”  
“Screw him.” I shrugged stepping out of the circle of his arms. “I have to make sure no one else is in danger.” I started back towards the exit.  
“Then have your lunch with him then suggest you go somewhere else. Perhaps even just allow him to walk you to your car.”   
“Jean Claude, if you have a warrant out on someone you don’t have a meal with them before you kill them. You just shoot them on sight.”  
“Then meet him outside.”  
“In the middle of a Monday afternoon?” I felt him fall into step behind me.  
“I am just trying to give you other options, ma petite. Richard will not like you killing in his establishment, even if it is sanctioned. Why did you even choose there?”  
“I didn’t. He did.”  
He caught my arm and turned me to him. “He chose the venue? You realise if he knows where the Lunatic Café is chances are he has been there before. May even be there now.”  
I stared into his midnight blue eyes. “I hadn’t thought of that.” I glanced at my watch again. I had twenty minutes to get to my next appointment. “Dammit, I’m running out of time tonight.”  
“I will call the café, ma petite. I will ask if there are any new weretigers there.”  
I started walking again. “They won’t tell you shit, Jean Claude. Me on the other hand, I’m their Bolverk.”  
“But as you said. You are running out of time.”  
“Not for a phone call.” I smiled slightly.  
Edward drove my jeep as I called the Lunatic Café having relayed Jean Claude’s idea to them on the way to the vehicles. For some reason they all agreed that Jean Claude had a point. Will wonders never cease?  
“The Lunatic Café, Mindy speaking, how may I help you?”  
“Mindy, hi.” I’d never actually met Mindy and wasn’t sure if she was Lukoi or not. Oh well. “Is Richard Zeeman there?”  
“I’m sorry the proprietor is not available at the moment.”  
“But is he there?”  
“He is but…”  
“No buts. Tell him Ms Blake’s on the phone.”  
“He really can’t be disturbed. I can take a message…”  
“Is Sylvie there?”  
“I’m afraid she also cannot be disturbed.”  
“Jamil? Shang Da?”  
“I really am sorry, Ms Blake…” her voice trailed away. “Are you Anita Blake?” She almost whispered.  
“I have that dubious honour, yeah.”  
“Our Lupa.” She murmured to herself.  
“Maybe. Definitely your Bolverk though. Any chance you could put someone on the phone now? It’s urgent.”  
“Yes, Ma’am.” She said suddenly efficient. I got a short blast of hold music before the line was answered by a deep male voice.  
“Hello?”  
“Jamil? It’s Anita.”  
“Oh, hi.” He said, a little unsure. “What’s wrong?”  
“I know you’re busy but any chance you might have noticed a new weretiger in the café this last week?”  
“No, but I have not been in the actual café itself. I can have someone check out front.”  
I heard Richard in the background ask who it was and Jamil tell him it was me. The line was quiet for a moment then Richard came on the phone.  
“We’re right in the middle of something here, Anita.”  
“So am I. Could someone please check if there’s a male weretiger sitting in the bar?”  
“Why?”  
“Because I asked nicely.”  
“Not good enough.”  
“Because I have warrant out for him and I know he’s been to the café or at least knows of it.” I went for the truth. Maybe it would work.  
“Is he dangerous?”  
“If you’ve ever dated him, yeah.”  
He was quiet for a long moment then said; “Hold on.” The cheesy ‘Blue Moon’ music came back on and I rolled my eyes.   
“I’m on hold.” I said to Edward’s enquiring look.  
Richard came back on the line several minutes later as we pulled into the parking lot of the cemetery. “Someone did notice a new tiger here yesterday but he’s not been in today.”  
“Okay. I need to ask you another favour.”  
“Something to do with this execution?”  
“Yeah.” I was suddenly feeling awkward. I mean, if someone asked to use my place for a legal killing how would I react?  
“Spit it out, Anita.”  
Oh great, now I was pissing him off. “The guy in question is going to be at the café on Monday lunchtime. I was kind of hoping you could close the place up apart from the two of us. So as not to risk anyone unnecessarily.”  
“You want to carry out an execution here?” He raised his voice in disbelief.  
“It’s a sanctioned execution. The cops will clear it up.” I argued but already knew I’d lose.  
“It’s going to be bad for business.”  
“Oh come on, Richard, you don’t really care about the business that much. I mean sure it makes you money but…”  
“But how much do you think it will harm the place if you kill someone here? No lycanthrope will dare come here again!” He yelled.  
“Okay, how about the parking lot? Can I kill him there?”  
“You can’t kill him anywhere near here, Anita. It’s supposed to be a place lycanthropes can come to be among their own kind, not killed by the Thronnos Rokke Bolverk.”  
“I have to kill him, Richard, before he kills again.” My voice had gone cold and hard. I’d let Richard have the upper hand in this conversation long enough. “Monday at two is the only time I’m certain of where he’ll be.”  
“So be here and follow him.” He snapped. “You are not killing him here.”  
“What if he attacks the girl there and then? You saying I can’t kill him to save her?”  
“What girl?” His voice quieted a little.  
I sighed. “He’s arranged to meet his ex-fiancé there for lunch.”  
“You’ve spoken to the fiancé?”  
“Ex-fiancé.” I said. “And yeah, she knows the situation. She just wants him stopped before he kills again.”  
“Hence she agreed to be bait.”  
“Exactly.” Both our tones had returned to normal.  
It was his turn to sigh. “Alright, Anita. Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll book you a table here, early. You can observe and if the guy goes for her you can kill him. If he doesn’t you follow him and do him away from here.”  
Well, it wasn’t what I wanted but it was the best I was going to get…and he didn’t know that I was the bait. “Alright. I’ll be in about one thirty. And Richard?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Thanks.” I hung up. “All fixed.” I smiled at Edward.  
I completed the raising with time to spare and told everyone the full conversation with Richard.  
“Are you going in alone?” Micah asked.  
“I have to.” I shook my head. “Anyone here he might recognise your scent and decide it’s a set up and leave.”  
“That place is full of security cameras. Any chance Richard could let us in the back way and let us use his security console to keep an eye on you?” Edward asked.  
“No harm in asking, I guess.” I asked and I was pleasantly surprised. Richard agreed to not only Edward watching but Merle too although he drew the line at two. Micah would wait in a car outside just in case he ran. They would be met at the back door at midday to give them time to familiarise themselves with the equipment. Things were looking up for once! As up as they could, at least.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mr Dean is a douchebag. Dinner with the folks is getting more complicated. Richard is a little more helpful.

Five raisings down and no one had tried to kill me! Yay! Micah, Merle and Edward all stood around looking menacing as I did my zombie queen bit. The clients hadn’t complained because they didn’t know any better. As far as they knew I needed two wereleopards and an assassin to raise a zombie. Okay, so they weren’t introduced as that. They were introduced as my associates.   
Now I pulled up into Hillcrest Cemetery to find Mr Dean already there, looking more casual than he had at the office but still tense.  
“Mr Dean.” I nodded as we approached him. “These are my associates, they will be observing the raising.”  
Dean glanced between the men and back to me. “All of it? Because I really do want private time, Ms Blake, to say my goodbye.”  
“Just the raising and putting her back.” I said. “As you requested.” He seemed pretty insistent about the alone time.  
I followed him to the grave leaving the men to follow a few feet behind. “Is it just me or does something here stink?” I heard Edward mutter. I smiled slightly in the darkness. Something stunk, alright.  
I raised the girl easily enough and she seemed a little wide-eyed. Well, I guess I would be too if it was me but that was why I wanted to be cremated. “You have an hour, Mr Dean.” I said, walking away. Neither Mr Dean nor the girl spoke to one another while I was there.  
“What’s the story?” Edward said as we walked back to the car.  
“Suicide. Uncle wants to say goodbye properly.”  
“You don’t believe that any more than I do.”  
“Not for a second.” I said.  
We decided to go to a nearby all night coffee shop for a caffeine boost.  
“So no wolves tonight. Jon is getting his on Monday, and tomorrow I get to have lunch with my folks. Great.” I said, stirring the almond latte in front of me. Ok,lay, so it wasn’t as strong as I usually took my coffee but it was late and this was the closest I got to hot milk at bedtime.  
“You’d better call your Dad and get him to make the table for an extra two.” Merle said and I looked up at him sharply.  
“What?”  
“He means you need us with you tomorrow too.” Edward said.  
I laughed out loud then. “You guys have to be kidding!” But their expressions said they weren’t. “I’m not going to have any problems I can’t handle.” I frowned. “Jon has his date so he should leave me alone and I don’t think a wolf is going to attack me in the middle of a restaurant. Anyway, Micah will be there.”  
Merle looked like he was going to argue but Micah shot him a glare.  
“What restaurant are you going to? I’ll book a table for me and Donna and the kids. Merle can join us.” Edward said.  
“I’m going to be nervous enough without you guys sitting there.” I complained.  
“Better nervous than dead.” Edward said staring hard at me.  
“And we’re going to the zoo afterwards.”  
“Not anymore you’re not.”  
“Edward…”  
“Don’t Edward me, Anita. It’s too easy to set up a trap at the zoo, too many places to hide. You know that already.”  
“And you are going to be there, and so is Merle and if it means that much to you I’ll bring some more back up. I’m going to the zoo, Edward.”  
We stared at each other for long moments, his eyes almost blazing. It was possibly the most emotional I’d ever seen Edward. Finally he said; “You are so stubborn, reckless, obstinate …”  
“We get the idea.” I said raising my voice above his.  
“No, you don’t or you wouldn’t do something so risky.”  
“Listen up, Edward.” I said lowering my voice. “I know Donna is a little pissed at being left out and a meal and a trip to the zoo will treat the kids too. I can get some of the pack to be at the zoo too, if you think it’s that likely there’ll be an attack. But I’m going.”  
Micah and Merle had remained silent throughout but I felt Micah touch my arm. I turned to look at him in the booth beside me. I wasn’t sure what he was trying to tell me but Edward broke me from my reverie.  
“Alright. Call in a couple of wolves. Get them to meet us at the zoo.”  
“I’ll call them when we leave the restaurant.” I tried not to smile. I’d won. That had to hack Edward off.  
“Just try and make sure they’re not cannon fodder.”  
“I don’t want my people shot up, Edward. I’ll choose wisely.” Question was who was I going to choose? I didn’t get to throw any theories round however as my phone started to ring. “Hello?”  
“Anita, it’s Jamil. Your tiger just walked in.”  
“What? I’m on my way.” I rang off. “Jon’s at the Lunatic Café.” I slid out of the booth. “Looks like Mr Dean’s time is going to be cut short.”  
“Hasn’t he paid for the hour?” Merle asked as we ran out the door.   
“Nope. Just the raising and putting back. Anyway, its federal marshal business. I’m pulling rank.”  
“Since when did you become a federal marshal?” Edward frowned at me.  
“Oh months ago.” I said with a dismissive wave as I climbed into the car.  
We reached the cemetery in record time. My instinct told me to switch off my headlights as I turned into the parking lot and I saw Merle behind do the same. The grave was at the far side of the cemetery, out of sight at the moment.   
“Why’d you drop the lights?” Edward asked quietly as I opened the door.  
“Instinct.” I said simply getting out. Then it struck me. “Shit.” I said and took off at a run across the cemetery.  
“What?” Edward said falling into step beside me. Micah and Merle fell into step with us a moment later.  
“I hope I’m not right.”  
“Right about what?”  
I didn’t answer. Just then I caught sight of the grave and the two figures. Lets just say that if I’d accidentally came across this scene I’d have thought it was two teenagers needing somewhere to go but knowing it was a guy and the corpse of his fourteen year old niece…I drew my Browning. I was going to have trouble not shooting him.  
“Shit.” I heard Merle mutter.  
“Dean!” I yelled levelling the gun on him. He stopped mid motion, and turned to look at us, eyes like a startled rabbit. He stood quickly, pulling up his pants but his niece’s animated corpse remained still, her funeral dress hiked up around her waist. He turned to look at us and there was a glint in his eye I didn’t like. He was a bully in the worse sense of the word.  
“You said an hour.” He said buckling his belt.   
“Call the cops.” I said quietly to no one in particular. I walked further towards him and knew Edward was behind me with his own gun drawn. We both had them pointed at the ground but the threat was still there.   
“You broke our contract, Ms Blake.” This confident, angry man was nothing like the sheep I’d seen in my office, or even here earlier tonight. I doubted his family suspected him of the capability of this either. “I’ll sue your company for that.”  
“Firstly the hour was only a favour, not in writing. Secondly you’re under arrest. Child abuse is illegal, Mr Dean, never mind necrophilia.”  
He scoffed a laugh. “You can’t just arrest me, Ms Blake.”  
“I can. I’m a federal marshal. And I’m going to.”  
I heard Micah talking quietly and guessed he’d called the cops. I pointed the gun at Dean again. “Move away.” I said waving the gun in the direction I wanted him to move in. He stepped carefully and raised his hands. “Edward, watch him.” I said and putting up my gun moved toward the zombie although I really didn’t want to refer to this poor girl as that.  
“The cops are on their way.” Micah said.  
“Good.” I took my eyes off Dean to look at the girl lying on her own grave. “Stand up.” I said looking into her distant eyes. She did as I asked. “Straighten out your clothes.” I said. She did and I realised she was shaking. She was more conscious than I’d thought. She was almost the same height as me with ginger hair and freckles. Her bottom lip quivered. Gee, she was going to cry. I’d never had a zombie do that before. “He won’t hurt you anymore.” I said. She nodded. “Do you know what I’m going to do now?” I asked. She shook her head. “Just close your eyes and relax, it won’t hurt.” I smiled at her slightly. She gave one last glance of fear to her uncle then closed her eyes and squared her shoulders, as though she was used to being told what to do and knew just to grin and bear it. I had a feeling though that if this got to court I might be ordered to raise the poor kid again for evidence. I sure hoped not.  
Edward had acquired some handcuffs from somewhere. I didn’t ask.   
I’d put the poor girl back but the image was burned onto the inside of my eyelids, there every time I closed my eyes. The cops arrived minutes later and bundled Dean into the back of the squad car and I agreed that I’d go to the station shortly to give a statement. But first I had something more important to do.  
Almost forty-five minutes had passed since Jamil’s phone call and I hoped Jon was still there. The plan was I’d go in with Micah and if we saw Jon and he saw us, I’d pretend my boyfriend had come with me so I knew where the place was for Monday. Edward and Merle were going in ahead of us just in case anything started while we were inside. Hence why Micah was in my jeep with me, Edward with Merle driving just ahead of us.  
“You okay?” Micah asked as I drove into the parking lot.  
“Why?” I frowned at him.  
“That wasn’t a very nice thing to have to see.” He reached over and took my hand as I switched off the ignition.  
“You saw it too.” I said defensively.  
“And it’s going to give me nightmares enough.”  
I laced my fingers with his and sighed. “It was horrible. And I can’t help but feel partially responsible.”  
“Not your fault, Anita.” He shook his head.  
“Come on.” I said, changing the subject. “Let’s go get this over with. We can feel sorry for ourselves later.”  
We went through the door hand in hand and I felt several things at once; the Lukoi, the Pard and a general buzz from the lycanthropic patrons.  
“Who’s here?” I murmured glancing round. My eyes fell on a table in the back corner, where Nathaniel was waving frantically at me. Jason sat on one side of him, Stephen and Gregory on the other. Guess it was strippers’ night out. “Oh great.” I muttered scanning the room again. I spotted Edward and Merle at the bar but paid them no attention. I couldn’t see Jon but would I even recognise him? I hoped so but wasn’t sure. Some people changed a lot over a small span of years. I wasn’t one of them however. He’d recognise me just fine.  
Micah and I moved through the tables where Gregory had pulled over two more seats. Everyone shuffled around so Micah and I could have our backs to the wall and we sat down. “You look like you’ve had a rough night.” Nathaniel said.  
“It ain’t over yet.” I said, looking around the room again. Nope. Still couldn’t spot him.  
“Is it safe to go back to your place yet?” Nathaniel rested his head on my shoulder.  
“Just another couple of days, Nathaniel. Although I will need you to be my midday tomorrow. You’ll have to come to the hotel.”   
“Why not just let him to come back with us tonight?” Micah said.   
I turned and looked at him. He raised his eyebrow slightly and I knew that after the day I’d had he thought I’d need the comfort. Trouble was he wasn’t wrong. “Sure.” I said with a small shrug. “You’ll need to go home and pack a bag though, Nathaniel.”  
“I’m starting to feel left out here.” Jason said with a small smile.  
“It’ll be your turn soon enough, wolf boy.” I smiled back. Just then Jamil came from the staff entrance that led to the kitchens and offices. He looked over to us then came straight over.  
“He left about ten minutes ago.” He said looking down at us. “But without doubt he was a weretiger.”  
“Damn. I got caught up with the police. Guess it’ll have to wait until Monday.”  
“Richard would like to talk to you about that.” He said with a grim smile.  
“I bet he would.” I sighed. “He waiting down the back?”  
“Yes. Second door on the left.”  
“Thanks, Jamil.” I said standing. I narrowed my eyes slightly. “He say anything about it being just me?”  
“Just you, Anita.” Jamil’s expression was sympathetic.  
“Okay. I’ll be right back, guys.” I walked away from the table and quirked Edward a half smile. “He’s gone. I’ll be right back.”  
Jamil stood by the door down the corridor and opened it for me but stayed outside. “You not coming in?”  
“No. Just the two of you.” He smiled. I went inside and he shut the door behind me.  
Richard was sitting at a large oak desk strewn with paper. For a pack based on animal laws there sure was a lot of paperwork. He glanced up as I came in and put down his pen.  
“Sit down, Anita.” He indicated to the seat opposite the desk. I thought about staying standing but it seemed a little childish so I sat. “Jamil told you he was here?”  
“Yeah. I got caught up with police business.” I smiled apologetically.  
“Another execution?” He raised an eyebrow. Richard really didn’t like that I killed so easily. Another reason why it would never have lasted between us.  
“No, actually a raising gone horribly, horribly wrong.” I shook my head. The memory was still too fresh.  
“It upset you.” Richard said and I realised I was probably radiating disgust at what I’d seen, and annoyance at having let it happen. And okay, I admit it had upset me too. More than I wanted to admit to Richard.  
“I do have feelings, Richard.” I said coldly. I didn’t want to go over it, not with him, not with anyone right now.  
He was quiet for a moment and sipped the coke he had on his desk. “Can I get you a drink?”  
“No. What do you want?”  
“Tell me about this tiger.”  
“Why?”  
“So I can reconsider your request.”  
My eyes widened a little. Richard, being helpful? Unheard of lately. Still I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Or gift wolf for that matter. “The guy’s a serial killer. He’s going round bumping off all his ex’s. He has at least one in St Louis and he’s arranged to meet her here on Monday. So far it’s the only lead I have. He’s in town but the cops are coming up blank with where. He’s got to be stopped.”  
Richard laced his fingers and rested his chin on top, his elbows on the desk. The movement accentuated the dimple on his chin. “I really don’t want killing done here, Anita.”  
“Other than pack business.” I said.  
“Other than pack business.” He repeated. “But as you’re now a federal marshal I can’t really stop you. I can just ask you not to do it here if you can help it.”  
“Will you clear the place out at least?”  
“We already have tables reserved for lunch, but most of them are early so they should be gone or getting ready to go by the time you get here.”  
“I suppose if there are people here he’ll be less likely to kill me, her.” I said correcting myself. “Just make sure none of your staff get in the way if it turns ugly.”  
“I’ll warn them.” He nodded. “What aren’t you telling me?”  
“What?” I said.  
“You're not lying but you’re not telling the complete truth either.”  
“I can’t tell you that, Richard. Not right now.” He stared at me long and hard. “You’ll see why on Monday.” I said.  
“The best I’m going to get.” He said.  
“For now.” I nodded. “Actually I wanted to ask you another favour.”  
“Another?” he raised an eyebrow.  
“Yeah. I kind of wondered if you could spare me a couple of wolves to watch my back tomorrow.”  
“What’s happening tomorrow?” He frowned.  
I sighed and rolled my eyes back in my head. “I’m going out with my folks. Edward thinks we need more back up.”  
“Your folks?” His eyes widened in surprise. “As in your family?”  
“Yeah, them.” I said, feeling distinctly awkward.  
“When did they come to town?”  
“I don’t want to go into it, Richard. I just need to know if you can loan me a bit of back up.”  
“Edward worried about this wolf attack?”  
“Among other things, yeah.” I wrinkled my nose.  
“I can offer you Jason and Stephen.”  
“No, thanks. I’ll do without.” I said standing.  
“Why? Because they’re you’re friends or because you can’t bear the thought of losing your latest conquest?”  
“Because they’re cannon fodder.” I spat back. This could get nasty. “And my friends.”  
“They’ll do what you tell them. They’re good in a fight, submissive but they’re still wolves.”  
“No, thanks.” I turned to leave. I felt him stand.  
“If it was a fire fight I wouldn’t suggest them either but against another were they might just be what you need.”  
I looked back at him. I was feeling tired and irritated. “Maybe if I take some of the Pard too the sheer number will put anyone off.”  
“Where are you going?” Richard asked with a sigh. He was glad we hadn’t turned this into a fight too.  
“First for a meal at lunchtime, but we should be okay there, then on to the zoo.”  
“Different.” He nodded. “So take Stephen and Jason. Its two more sets of eyes to watch your back.”  
“Thanks, Richard.” I said and moved to the door.  
“Anita?” He said as my hand touched the handle.  
“What?" I asked, not looking round.  
“Don’t get yourself killed. I’d hate to have to appoint another Bolverk.”  
“Good help’s hard to find.” I said letting myself out.  
Jason and Stephen agreed to meet us at the zoo once I called them. Nathaniel and Gregory also volunteered. Not the most assertive group ever but it was a start. At least it was eight extra eyes and hands, right? I hoped we didn’t need them.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brief filler chapter, so I'll add two today!

Merle and Nathaniel went to get overnight bags, or should that be over-morning bags? Anyway, they would meet us back at the hotel. We went to give statements to the cops. Donna hadn’t waited up, thankfully, and I was wearing my wolf t-shirt again when Nathaniel and Merle returned. Micah and I had spoken about the sleeping arrangements. Merle was part of the Pard but I’d never shared a bed with him. Micah said he’d sleep across our feet, as Cherry and Zane were so fond of doing, but we should give him the option. He decided to take the couch and deep down I was relieved. It was four o’clock by the time we crawled into bed; my head resting on Micah’s chest, Nathaniel spooned against my back.  
The next morning Micah and Merle went for a walk while I ‘fed’ on, or rather from, Nathaniel. I didn’t have sex with Nathaniel, despite his desire for me to do so. He was too submissive and he only wanted me because I was his Nimir Ra. Instead we did…other things.  
I actually had the sense to feed in the shower. It kind of killed two birds with one stone. It saved us time trying to walk to the shower afterwards, however it did mean that neither one of us was quite capable of standing. So we sat on the floor of the cubicle regaining our breath then washed each other’s hair and towelled off. It was intimate without being overly sexual, apart from the ardeur of course. It was the kind of touchy feely intimacy that the Pard fed off. And I admit I’d grown to like it.  
I was finally dressed up and ready. Or as ready as I was going to be. Micah looked swish in his designer shirt and black slacks. The shirt itself was white with black stripes darting randomly across it. He’d fussed with his curls so they hung around his face in a way so errant it could only have been deliberate and I knew it was all for my benefit. He was sitting at the table in the room, his chin resting on his thumb, his fingers covering the small smile on his lips. We were alone; Merle had taken Nathaniel to the circus so he and Jason would be together when I called. I was wearing a pants suit in black. I rarely got to wear it but it was the blouse that was making Micah smirk. It was lilac. I thought it was a nice gesture, to wear the one shirt Judith had ever bought me that I actually liked, even if I had only worn it a handful of times. My Browning was in its shoulder holster, nestled snugly under my left arm; my Firestar in my Uncle Mike’s inner pants holster. My wrist sheaths held their regular knives. I’d had to forgo my spine knife but instead was wearing knee length boots under my pants that Jean Claude had had made for me. They had a two-inch heel, small enough to run in but big enough to increase my height. Attached to the outside of each boot was another knife sheath with the handles pointing down. I could drop to either knee, unpop the button holding them inside and slide out the silver blade. It was one of the most practical and thoughtful gifts Jean Claude had ever bought me and they were soft as walking on feathers. I’d even added a small amount of make up. Jean Claude had got me into the habit of adding just a little eye shadow even when I wasn’t going anywhere special.   
I came out of the bathroom after washing hair goop off my hands to see Micah still gazing at me with the same expression.  
“What?”  
“Nothing.” He raised his eyebrows as he tried to hide his smile.  
“No, you’ve thought of something.” I frowned walking towards him. “Tell me.”  
“You won’t like it.” He shook his head. The smile was back.  
“I don’t care, tell me.”  
“Alright.” He stood and took both of my hands in his. “That colour really suits you.”  
“Is that all?” I frowned at him. “I know it does.”  
“You do?” His eyes widened in surprise.  
“Yeah. If I didn’t like it I’d have exchanged it when I got it.”  
“You never cease to amaze me.” He said, shaking his head. He planted a quick kiss on my forehead then said; “Merle’s back.” As there came a knock on the door.  
“Show off.” I smiled at him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunch with the Blake's.

The restaurant was one of the more upmarket in town and I knew ‘Ted’ had had to tip heavily to get a table for five at such short notice. Still he could afford it. I was still wondering if he’d want anything in return for keeping an eye on me this time.  
Dad, Judith and Josh were already there, enjoying a drink in the bar, when we arrived. I wasn’t late but the look Judith gave me said they’d been waiting a while.   
I kissed Dad and Josh on the cheek and eventually air kissed Judith. Micah shook hands with each of them.   
“Would either of you like a drink?” Dad smiled warmly. “We don’t need to go to our table for another ten minutes or so.”  
“Coffee, thanks.” I said. Judith frowned a little. We were in a restaurant. Coffee was something you finished a meal with, not started it. Well, if I didn’t get another cup I might just shoot her…hmm that sounded vaguely tempting.  
“Micah?” Dad asked breaking me from my daydream.  
“I’ll take a glass of coke. Thank you, Mr Blake.”  
“I told you the other day, call me Henry.” Dad smiled. He seemed to like Micah and I was glad. They’d been most disappointed with Jean Claude. I had no doubt that they hoped I’d ditch Jean Claude for Micah, and if it kept them happy let them believe it. As long as they didn’t go on about it I was happy.  
“You were mentioned on the news this morning.” Judith said as a waiter poured coffee into a bone china cup for me.  
“I was?” I frowned slightly as I added cream and sugar. We’d moved to sit on plush sofas by a bay window overlooking a large garden.  
“Something about having arrested a paedophile.”  
“Oh, that.” I said. Micah was sitting on one side of me with Josh on the other. Judith and Dad were sitting opposite us on another sofa with a mahogany coffee table between us.  
“What happened?” Dad asked.  
“I’d really rather not say.” I shook my head. “It wasn’t very pleasant.”  
“Was it dangerous?” Josh asked.  
“Only for the perp. I wanted to shoot him.” I said, picking up my coffee then realised what I said. I looked up at them to find a surprised expression on their faces. I glanced at Micah who had an expression of controlled amusement on his face that said ‘explain that one’.  
“You were going to shoot him?” Judith said eventually.  
“Well, no. But I wanted the guy to hurt for what he’d done. My gun was the only thing to hand. I didn’t though. I called the cops and they took him away.”  
“Anita Blake, crime fighter.” Josh said with a grin. At least he wasn’t disgusted with me.  
“I never did get to congratulate you on becoming a federal marshal.” Dad said changing the subject.  
“It’s hardly something to celebrate, Dad.” I shrugged. “It just means I can play by some of the rules the bad guys do without stepping on legal toes.”  
“What sort of rules?” Judith was frowning. Still that was nothing new.  
“I can cross state lines in the process of chasing down a fugitive without worrying about jurisdiction is the main benefit. I can also get involved in any preternatural case I see fit.”  
“Any case? Besides werewolves and vampires what else is there?” Judith visibly shuddered as she said vampires.  
“Ghosts, ghouls, other wereanimals, zombies, mythical creatures, pyrokinetics. All sorts.”  
“What other sort of wereanimals?” Josh asked. He seemed generally interested.   
“Actually I don’t get that many executions. Mainly it’s helping solve preternatural crimes.”  
“But what other kinds of wereanimals have you met?” Josh had a look in his eye that I recognised. Admiration and respect. Gee, I hated it when people looked at me like that, but as Judith seemed to disapprove of the look I let it slide.  
“Oh, all kinds. There are rats, hyenas, wolves, snakes, swans, foxes but my favourites are the leopards.” Micah squeezed my hand gently.  
“I’ve never met a wereanimal.” He sounded disappointed.  
“Well, how do you know that?” I said with a small frown.  
“I don’t know. I just figured you could tell.”  
“Well you can’t. Not unless you have some sort of…affinity with preternaturals.”  
“Like you do.” He said.  
“Like I do.” I repeated.  
“So are there any here?” Josh looked around at the assembled patrons.  
I looked to Micah and smiled. He smiled back softly. “Can you see any, Micah?”  
“Not sure.” He glanced round the room.  
“Micah can spot them too?” Judith said.  
“Yeah, he’s gifted like me.” I grinned at her. Now she knew she was sitting with two ‘special’ people. I resisted the urge to laugh.  
“Guy at the bar.” Micah said finally. “Blue suit, red tie.”  
“Got him.” I nodded looking at the guy. He was half turned away from us. “You see him, Josh?”  
“Yeah.” Judith and Dad turned slightly too then turned back.  
“He’s a wereanimal?” Judith said in disbelief.  
“Yeah.”  
“What kind?” Josh asked but my eyes were on Judith. She didn’t look happy. I knew that look…prejudice and fear. Bad combination.  
“Not sure.” I said glancing at Micah. He too was looking at Judith.  
“I can’t tell either. In fact he might not be a were at all.” Micah said softly. “It’s hard to tell. He might just have an underlying current of…magic like that of a lycanthrope.”  
“That’s what I think. It’s not very strong.” We were both lying and I could smell it on us but at least it would stop Judith from having a pink fit.  
“So he’s not an…” she looked around. “Animal?”  
“Even if he was a lycanthrope they’re not animals.” I said quietly. “He’s a person. Some of the lycanthropes I know are nicer than those who are supposedly ‘normal’.” My eyes had gone cold. I wanted to diffuse the situation but could feel anger sneaking up on me. Micah touched my hand again, lacing our fingers. I closed my eyes and shook my head slightly.   
“Perhaps we should see if the table is ready.” Dad said, clearing his throat.  
“No, it’s alright, Dad.” I said. “Judith, all I’m trying to say is this. Lycanthropes are people. They have the same rights and you get both good and bad ones. And honestly, it’s no worse than having a period every month. You have one day where no one wants to come near you and you crave…unusual food. And you get stronger and harder to hurt. It has good sides to it besides going furry once a month.”  
“You sound like the voice of experience.” Judith said, her eyes narrowing.  
“Think what you like, Judith. You will anyway.” I shrugged.  
“Anita, are you saying you’re a lycanthrope?” Dad said leaning closer and whispering.  
“What if I say yes?” I gauged both their reactions. Judith sat back suddenly as though she’d been struck. Dad just sat and stared hard into my eyes.  
“We’ll accept it.” He said finally. “You’re still my little girl.”  
“I’m not a lycanthrope.” I said softly. “But most of my friends are. They’re the nicest people I’ve ever met. They care about me a lot and I care about them. I love them all.” Micah squeezed my hand and I looked to him. He was smiling slightly, his eyes glistening. I could feel emotions radiating off him in solid waves and it was almost enough to bring a tear to my eye. He leant forward and cupped my face with his hands and kissed me softly, nothing more than our lips against each other.  
“That was beautiful.” He said when we parted, his lips merely centimetres from mine.  
“It was the truth.” I whispered. We smiled at each other then. It was one of those perfect moments between a Nimir Ra and Raj. Complete understanding. Or maybe it was just me and Micah.  
Someone cleared his throat and we all looked up at the maitre d’. “Your table is ready, Mr Blake.”  
“Thank you.” Dad said and looked at Micah and I. “Shall we?”  
We sat at the table in silence for some time. Dad ordered wine, I ordered a coke as did Josh.   
Menus were distributed but the silence was uncomfortable. Finally Micah put down his menu. “Mr Blake, Mrs Blake. I really don’t think you can hold against Anita her choice of friends or lifestyle.” I looked at him wide-eyed.  
“Micah, you really don’t need to…”  
“I do.” He said looking at me. “You care about your friends so much and have sacrificed so much for them. No one should judge you by the company you keep. No one should judge you at all.” He turned back to the stunned looks on my Dad and Judith’s faces. Josh looked like he was trying to slide under the table with embarrassment. I knew how he felt. “Your daughter is completely selfless. Several months ago some of her friends were kidnapped and she went in unarmed to rescue them. Half the lycanthropes in the city owe her a debt of some kind, not to mention the vampires. She has saved the lives of humans, vampires and lycanthropes alike. She doesn’t hesitate to risk her own life not only for her friends but for people she hardly knows too. You should be very proud of her, not disgusted for the company she keeps.” He looked round the table. “Okay, I’m done.”  
Dad’s face was blank; Judith was surprised but perhaps a little annoyed. Josh was watching them both carefully. Finally Dad’s face broke into a smile. “You must care very much about my daughter to berate her family in public.”  
“I do.” Micah nodded.  
Dad nodded. “Stop calling me Mr Blake. I’m Henry. And I’m prouder of my daughter than you’d imagine.” I sat there and felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. I glanced at Josh who looked suitably embarrassed too. We shared a moment of sibling discomfort then smiled at each other. “I’m glad she’s got someone like you to look out for her.”  
“Anita doesn’t need looking out for.” Micah smiled.  
“That’s for sure.” Dad said with a short laugh.   
Judith had stayed quiet but once again had regained her composure. “We really should decide what we’re having to eat.” She said softly.  
We all went back to our menus. They had a wide variety and I went for the traditional roast beef. I bypassed the appetiser, as did Micah. Getting too full when you might have to run around at some point was never a good thing.  
“Isn’t that the guy who was at your house on Friday?” Josh said after we’d ordered.  
“Huh?” I said glancing round where Josh was looking. “Oh yeah. It’s Ted.” I said winking at Micah.  
Edward saw us then and feigned surprise better than I had. He was holding Becca’s hand and bent to and talked to her while pointing towards us. Becca saw me and her face lit up. She pulled on Edward’s hand to hurry up despite the maitre d’ going slightly in a different direction. I stood as they approached, as did Micah. Donna and Peter came next closely followed by Merle.  
“Hey, it’s the Blake’s.” Ted drawled as he shook hand first with me then with Micah. “And Snagglepuss.”  
“Ted.” Micah said with a small smile.  
I crouched down and hugged Becca who automatically lifted her legs up and around me so I had to lift her up. I stood again and looked back at my folks. “Guys, you remember Ted and co?”  
“Of course.” Dad stood and shook Ted’s hand.  
“And you remember Merle, right, Anita?”  
I smiled up at our chief enforcer looking smart in shirt and tie. “Yeah, we remember Merle.” We shook hands. “Hi, Donna, Peter.”  
They both said hi and Edward looked round at the maitre d’ standing about two tables away. “Guess we’d better get to our table. Speak to you later, Anita.”  
The table was actually opposite where I sat and I watched Edward position everyone at the table, subtly but well. He sat facing us with Becca in the seat opposite meaning he could see over her head with an unobstructed view. Merle sat beside Edward also watching us carefully. Donna smiled at me from her seat between Becca and Ted then looked at her menu. Peter turned around and smiled too then winked. I had a feeling he knew something was going on. He wasn’t stupid.  
“Dad said we’re going to the zoo afterwards?” Josh asked.  
“Yeah.” I said. “I adopted a couple of animals a while back. I thought you guys might like an afternoon out and the zoo’s pretty nice.”  
“What animals did you adopt?” Judith asked.  
“I adopted a leopard and Micah adopted a Humboldt penguin for me as a gift.”   
Judith smiled broadly. “What a romantic gift. Was it for any occasion?” I noted her glance down at my left hand.  
“Just because she deserved it.” He smiled.  
I felt a blush starting at my toes heading north. “So how’s work, Dad?” Maybe if I changed the subject the blush would only reach my knees.  
“It’s fine. But I’d really like to hear about how you and Micah met.”  
I stared at him, my expression fixed. That was one story I didn’t want to relay. ‘Yeah, Dad, I woke up to find myself naked in bed with him pressed against my back. Then we had sex in the shower the same day.’ Not really going to inspire the ‘good little daughter’ theme.  
“Actually it was rather boring.” Micah said and I glanced at him. “We met through a mutual friend. Anita and I were attracted to one another immediately.”  
Well that was a better way of putting it than my idea. And it was the truth.  
“Still, it’s quite romantic. Love at first sight.” Judith persisted.  
I frowned at that. I couldn’t very well say ‘Well, not exactly love, definitely lust though.’ Micah and I had never mentioned love. He didn’t pressure me about anything and while I was sure I was at least a little in love with Micah I wasn’t sure if he liked me Anita Blake vamp executioner or me Anita Blake, Nimir Ra. I hoped it was the first. Although maybe that should be both.  
“You obviously started dating.” Judith continued. Dating was something she could handle. It didn’t have fur and didn’t drink blood…at least her idea of a date didn’t. “Where did you go on your first date?”  
I glanced at Micah again and sighed. “I really don’t want to discuss this, Judith. At the time I was involved in some very difficult…preternatural work. There was nothing normal about the way our relationship started.” Or the way it continues, I didn’t add.  
“Then when you did start dating, where did you go?”  
“We’ve been for meals and to the zoo.” I shrugged. “Really it’s all very boring.”  
“And how exactly does the vampire fit in?” Josh asked. Everyone turned to look at him. “I mean you were dating him first, right? Doesn’t he mind Micah muscling in?”  
“Okay, I’m definitely not going there.” I shook my head. “As nice as it is that you guys are interested in my personal life I’d like to keep it personal.”  
“Sorry.” Josh said.  
“Hey, it’s okay.” I said patting his hand. “I just don’t want to talk about it.”  
The rest of the meal was carried out with just the right level of small talk, my personal life not being brought up again. Becca came to see us between each course and I knew that Edward was sending her over. After she went back for her main course I felt my cell phone vibrating in my pocket. I excused myself and glanced down at the display. It was a message from Edward. It said simply ‘invite us to the zoo already!’ Oh yeah.  
“Dad, would you mind if I invited Ted and co to the zoo? I don’t get to see the kids very often and I’m sure Becca would love it.”  
“Of course we don’t mind.” Dad smiled. I think he thought it was a maternal side.  
“Great, I’ll ask if they’d like to come once they’ve finished eating.”  
The dessert trolley was brought out and I had a small piece of a creamy chocolate cheesecake. I knew Jean Claude was awake and was quite sure he was rolling around somewhere enjoying the tastes I was sending him.  
While coffee was served I went over to Edward who had just had his main course cleared away. “We’re on for the zoo. Dad thinks I’m going all maternal wanting kids hanging round.”  
Edward laughed. Or rather Ted did. “That’s the funniest thing I ever heard.”  
I rolled my eyes as his southern drawl. “So are you following us there?”  
“Are we going to the zoo?” Becca asked in wide-eyed excitement, looking between Ted and her mother.  
“Sure.” Donna smiled.  
Becca started nattering then, asking questions quickly and I walked away with a smile. Rather then than me.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judith gets a small shock, Anita makes a decision.

The zoo wasn’t too crowded; it was cold and almost end of season putting most people off, but there were still several cars in the parking lot. I’d called the circus and Jason, Nathaniel, Stephen and Gregory were going to wait for us; Jason and Nathaniel would follow us round and Stephen and Gregory would just be there somewhere in case we needed them. I hoped they were subtle. Although knowing Jason and Nathaniel…probably not. Nathaniel would probably have a hard enough time not running up to me as soon as he saw me like a puppy…or maybe kitten was more accurate. Well, we’d see.  
“What’s going to happen when the animals see us?” I asked as I turned off the engine.  
“What do you mean?” Micah turned to me, frowning.  
“Well, there’s you and me and we know how the big cats reacted to us. What about two submissive leopards and two wolves as well?”  
“I hadn’t thought about that.” He raised an eyebrow. “Coming to see Keeja and Sigmund didn’t seem like such a bad idea before. But now I think about it…your folks are going to be freaked by this.”  
They’d followed in a hire car and were now walking towards my jeep. “Okay, how about we make the excuse that I need to check something out and we let them go through Big Cat Country themselves?”  
“Probably for the best, but what about Ted?”  
“I’ll talk to him.” I said. As if on cue Edward pulled up into the parking space beside us, Becca waving at me through the window. “Let’s go play happy families.” I said raising an eyebrow.  
We all made small talk on our way to the entrance; Dad asking Ted how we knew each other, me trying not to laugh at his reply which was so convoluted without actually giving any information away, the southern drawl making it all the more ridiculous. Becca tugged on my hand as we got through the gates and I glanced back and held out my hand to Micah with a small smile. He took it with a grin of his own. It was the first time he’d seen me interact with a kid, not including Valentina and Bartolomé. And they really didn’t count. I just let Becca lead me around, answering her every now and then and it seemed to keep her happy.  
“Peter.” I called as we walked through the herpetarium.   
“Yeah?” He looked back from where he was looking into a glass cabinet containing a cobra.  
“Do me a favour?”  
He walked over to me as Becca looked into one of the displays. “What?”  
“I’ve gotta talk to Ted about something Becca doesn’t need to hear. Think you can manage to keep her busy for a few secs?”  
“If you’ll tell me what it’s about.” He smiled slightly. This kid was so bright it was untrue.  
“Okay.” I said. I glanced at Micah and he nodded slowly and crouched down beside Becca, taking her mind off the fact that I was talking to Peter, not her. “I have to make sure I don’t go through the big cat area.”  
“Why?” he frowned.  
“It’s just not a good idea. Trust me.”  
“You can tell me, Anita. I’m not a kid.” He frowned slightly and drew himself up to his full height, which while was more than mine it still wasn’t much.  
“It has to do with being a necromancer. I have a connection with certain animals and the cats always act up when I’m around.” I whispered to him.  
“And you think it’ll weird out your folks.” He smiled.  
“You’re damn smart.” I said, smiling at him.  
“I’ll tell Ted for you if you like.” He shrugged.  
I glanced over to where Ted stood with Donna. They were talking quietly by one of the displays but he was staring at me, nonchalantly leaning against the wooden surround.  
“No, I’ll do it.” I smiled slightly. “I wanna see how pissed he gets when I tell him.” Peter laughed and it was entirely too adult a sound. It wasn’t the pure mirth filled laughs kids have when they’re young, when everything is fun, before they find out life isn’t fair. Peter had learnt that lesson early and the hard way, and I wondered if Becca still laughed the same. After what happened with Riker I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t.  
Micah fell into step beside me as I walked toward Ted, smiling at my Dad as I went by. It was like a school group, everyone in their own little gang.  
“Uh oh, she means business.” Donna said as I neared. She smiled slightly. “Better lose myself.” She walked past after kissing Ted softly on the cheek.  
“Okay, what now?” Edward folded his arms over his chest and slipped his face to neutral.  
“Nothing really.” I said. “Just that I can’t go through Big Cat Country.”  
“I thought you brought your folks here to show them that leopard?”  
“I did until we remembered the kind of reaction I get from Keeja, not to mention the other big cats.”  
“What reaction from the other cats?” He frowned.  
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “They kind of watch me.”  
“What do you mean ‘watch you’?”  
“She means if she walks through there every cat in the place is going to match her step for step and stare at her intently until she leaves. Some of them might even have a fit if I go near her.” Micah said, face serious.  
“Great.” Edward shook his head. “So what do we do?”  
“I make an excuse to go to the bathroom or something. I’ll meet you guys the other side of Big Cat Country. You guys can show my Dad Keeja.”  
“You’re not going to the bathroom alone.”  
“I’m not going to the bathroom, Edward. I’m going to walk around Big Cat Country. And anyway Jason and Nathaniel are following. I’ll get them to come with me.”  
Edward looked like he was about to argue. “It’ll look weird if one of you two offers to come to the bathroom with me, and it won’t work if anyone else comes with me because they’ll miss the cats or will want to wait for me. If I go alone we don’t have that problem.”  
He stared at me for a long moment. “Alright. When we get to the big cat area you make your excuses. But if you need me you call. Scream if you have to. None of this ‘screaming is only for when there’s nothing better to do’ crap. Scream your goddammed head off if you get trouble.”  
I smiled slightly and suppressed a laugh. Damn, he knew me well. “Alright I will.”  
Micah and I moved back to look in the herpetarium’s where Dad stood and made more small talk. I found that there weren’t many stories I could tell about my life that were suitable for my family. They were either too graphic or too weird. So we discussed nice normal things like the weather, and work…parts of my work anyway. Mainly about certain notable cases and Bert being a money-grabbing SOB. Although I left out the gory details of course…despite Josh and Peter’s protestations.  
Finally the entry to Big Cat Country came into view. “Guys, I really have to go use the bathroom. I’ll be right back, okay?” I started backing the way we’d come.  
“I’ll come with you, Anita.” Judith said.  
“We’ll wait here for you girls.” Dad smiled.  
I glanced at Edward who shrugged slightly. I forgot we couldn’t sway Judith not to come with me. Guess I was going to the bathroom after all. “I’ll bluff it and get Nathaniel and Jason to escort us.” I murmured as I kissed Micah’s cheek.  
“What about the big cats?” he whispered hugging me to him.  
“I’ll make some other excuse. I’ve got a whole trip back to the bathroom to figure one out.” I leant back from him and smiled slightly. “See you all shortly.”  
Judith and I walked quietly back the way we’d come and had no sooner got out of sight of the others than Jason and Nathaniel came into view laughing at some joke then froze, both turning to look at me, a little surprised.  
“Hey, it’s Nathaniel and Jason.” I said grinning. “Hi, guys!”  
They both smiled then, realising that I wanted them to be seen.  
“Do all your friends visit the zoo regularly?” Judith said suspiciously.  
“Actually, yeah.” I smiled at her. “We take it in turns to visit my animals. I’d forgotten it was their weekend.” I shrugged. I hugged each of the boys in turn, lingering a little longer on Jason whispering; “Offer to accompany us, don’t take no for an answer.” I felt him nod against me. “Micah, Dad and Ted are down there.” I said, nodding towards the direction we’d come from.  
“Where are you two going?” Jason asked. He wasn’t a bad little actor actually.  
“Just to the bathroom.” I shrugged.  
“Two beautiful ladies such as yourselves shouldn’t be walking around unaccompanied!” He said dramatically. “Allow us to escort you.” He gallantly offered me an arm and I laughed.  
“We should be okay, Jason.”  
“No, now what kind of friends would we be if we let you wander around alone. Anyway,” he winked, “I really could do with getting a soda. The bathrooms are near the shop, right?” I laughed again. Next time I wanted to lie I’d get Jason to do it for me.   
“How long have you known Anita, Mr Schuyler, wasn’t it?”  
“Yeah, but you can call me Jason. Must be what? Nearly two years?” He frowned at me questioningly.  
“I guess it’s about that.” I nodded. “Time sure does fly, huh?”  
“And you…” She glanced at Nathaniel standing the other side of Jason.  
“Nathaniel.” He said quietly. “Just over a year.”  
“And you both live at her house?” Judith frowned.  
“No.” I shook my head. “Nathaniel does, everyone else just comes and goes, but mostly they stay over at my place unless I specify otherwise. Oh and Jason lives with Jean Claude.”  
“You live with the vampire?” Her eyes went wide as she looked down at Jason.   
He just smiled at her. “Not with with him but under the same roof, yeah.” Jason shrugged.  
She stared at him for long moments as though speechless. Well, that was a first. “You live with the vampire?” She eventually repeated.  
“Yeah. They’re roomies.” I said.  
“Goodness.” She said. She shook her head, composing herself. I guess it hadn’t crossed her mind that vampires could rent out rooms, or have roommates, or whatever. I could imagine her now thinking about a modern preternatural version of the odd couple. “Nathaniel, what do you do for a living?” She said suddenly. She was desperate to change the subject but I wasn’t sure she’d like this line of conversation any better. Nathaniel smiled softly and I looked round Jason with a smile and raised eyebrow.  
“I’m a stripper at Guilty Pleasures.” He said quietly.  
“I’m sorry?” Judith blinked twice in close succession.  
“He’s a stripper.” I said. “As is Jason. At one of the clubs Jean Claude owns.”  
“You both take off your clothes for a living?”  
“Yeah.” They both said at once. They were both smiling because I was. They knew it was okay.  
“They’re real good too.” I said raising an eyebrow at her. She seemed to pale slightly and the part of me that liked to see bad guys suffer jumped for joy.   
“You’ve seen them both…” she leant in as though disclosing some secret, “…naked?”  
“Oh yeah. Tons of times.” I nodded. “Oh, here are the bathrooms. You guys going to wait for us to come out?”  
“I’ll go get a soda but wait for me if I’m not back.” Jason said.  
“I’ll wait here for you.” Nathaniel said softly. I had the feeling something was wrong although I couldn’t tell what. He was being, shy almost, more submissive than I’d seen him in a while. I’d have to try get him alone to ask him what was up.  
I came out of the bathroom before Judith, who no doubt would primp and preen in front of the mirror for a while, I just made sure my black eyeliner hadn’t given me panda eyes. Jason was back and was sipping a can of coke leaning against the small wall opposite, Nathaniel beside him. I nudged them apart and sat on the wall between them. “Go get me a can of soda, Jason.” I said.  
“You could have said when I got this one.” He frowned but started to walk away toward the shop.  
“What’s wrong, Nathaniel?” I asked quietly, looking down at my boots.  
“Nothing.” He said a little too fast. “Why do you think something’s wrong?”  
I slid off the wall and moved to stand in front of him, nudging his legs apart until I stood looking up at him through a curtain of his hair, our bodies pressed together. I raised his chin to look at me with a finger and saw a glimpse of nerves in his eyes.  
“Not good enough, Nathaniel. Firstly, I can smell you’re lying. Secondly, I know you and this isn’t normal. Now what’s wrong?”  
He looked deep into my eyes, pale lilac to deep brown. “You’re nervous around your folks and it’s leaking onto me.” He said quietly.  
“What?” I looked surprised.  
He squirmed slightly and looked away again. “You’re nervous around your dad. I’m picking up on it. I can taste it on you.”  
As soon as he said it I realised I could taste it from him too, the bitter tang of nerves and fear. Was this what I was putting out? I could understand the nerves, kind of; it was like walking eggshells around my dad, not just because I didn’t want him to have a low opinion of me, of what I am, but because of the whole threat thing, the Pard, the lukoi…everything. “I’m sorry, Nathaniel. I didn’t realise.” I said, wrapping arms around his waist. I held him to me and shortly his arms slid around my back and he let out a shuddering sigh. “Does it help to touch?” I said softly into his collar.  
“A bit.” He murmured into my hair.  
“Then you get to hold my hand.”  
“Damn, I always miss out.” Jason said. He was standing behind us although I didn’t need to turn around to see that. Then I realised Judith was approaching too. I turned in Nathaniel’s arms so I could see them both but still in the circle of his arms, my own holding his to me.  
“Let’s get back.” I said.  
I held Nathaniel’s hand all the way back and I knew Judith was looking and wondering what the deal was. I could smell the suspicion on her and got a small thrill out of it. Maybe it was time I stopped worrying about what they thought and was more myself. Perhaps not totally myself but more so. As we approached I remembered I was supposed to be finding a way out of going through Big Cat Country. “Everyone remembers Nathaniel and Jason, right?” I said as I stopped and patted my hip, feeling my pager and frowned. “Guys, go on ahead, I left my pager in the car.” I lied.  
“We can wait for you.” Dad said glancing at my hand holding Nathaniel’s.  
“No, it’s okay. Micah will introduce you to Keeja. I’ll be right back.”  
“I’ll come.” Nathaniel said, although I’d kind of assumed as much. I caught Edward glance between Micah and Jason.  
“Actually I need to get my sunglasses.” Edward said, stepping forward. “We’ll meet you guys around the other side.” He kissed Donna and fell into step beside me.  
“You really think I’m in that much danger?” I said.  
“Trouble can strike any time, Anita.” Edward said, not looking at me. “And that’s just a normal person, not taking your attraction to trouble into account.”  
I laughed suddenly making Nathaniel jump. I squeezed his hand slightly by way of an apology. “I do seem to have ‘attack me’ tattooed on my forehead.”  
“Either that or ‘screw me’.” Edward said and my laughter stopped.  
I wanted to ask what that was supposed to mean but I knew what it meant. “If you’re going to make digs at me you can fuck off back to the tour group.”  
“Just making an observation.” He said with a shrug but there was a look in his eye. He wanted to go into this.  
“Just say it, Edward. You will eventually anyway.” I said, shaking my head.  
“You’re going to confuse the hell out of your Dad holding hands with Nathaniel when you’re meant to be with Micah. I mean I understand you two are sleeping together but…”  
“Whoa! Hold on!” I touched his arm and stopped. “I’m not sleeping with Nathaniel. Not in the way you’re thinking.”  
He narrowed his eyes at me then nodded slowly. “So you say. It’ll still confuse your family.”  
“I don’t know what to do about that.” I said. Nathaniel moved to stand slightly behind me. “Nathaniel is feeling a little…odd right now and it’s my fault. If I can calm him by holding his hand then that’s fine by me and everyone else can just bite me.”  
“Everyone else already has.” He smiled slightly and it wasn’t a pleasant smile.  
I was trembling with anger. Edward knew just what buttons to press to stir me up and right now I was wound so tight I was ready to burst. I didn’t want to slug him, shoot him or whatever…okay, maybe I did, but not really. He’d always been there when I needed him, the most constant person I knew but he was so…I walked away, quickly, dragging Nathaniel behind me. I heard Edward call my name and start to walk up behind me. I released Nathaniel’s hand and stopping in my tracks spun to face Edward. He was closer than I thought and he almost ran into me.  
“Don’t start on me, Edward. I have more things going on than you could ever understand or that I even want you to know about. I have my reasons for what I do and it’s none of your business anyway.”   
“I’m just teasing, Anita. But I am trying to give you the view of what your family will think.” He raised his hands in mock surrender.  
“Maybe I don’t care what they think anymore. I’ve been acting the perfect little girl so long when I'm anything but, and I hate it. They know my life is dark and not what they’d choose for me or even what they approve of but it’s about time they saw the real me. My real life.”  
“If that’s what you want then fine.” Edward rested a hand on my shoulder. “Just let them in gently, okay? You think they’ll accept you turning round and saying, ‘by the way Micah’s a leopard, Nathaniel’s a leopard, Jason's a wolf, I’m their queen’? I don’t think they’d know how to handle it.”  
“You mean be subtle?” I raised an eyebrow. “I can do subtle.”  
Edward laughed and I could even feel Nathaniel smirking behind me. “If you could do subtle you’d be dangerous!”  
“Dangerous?” I went a little wide-eyed.  
“Okay, more dangerous.” Edward chuckled and offered me a hand. “Friends again?”  
“More likely to kill than fuck each other?”  
“Deal.” We shook on it.   
“How about we let your folks’ first test be how the big cats react to you?”


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big Cat Country

We went straight back to Big Cat Country. Micah and Jason were looking towards us as we came through the entrance…and then all the cats were too. Everyone was stood in front of Keeja’s cage and he was pacing in front of them, back and forth in a tight circuit. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared towards me, then ran to the edge of his cage, as near to me as he could get, ears pricked in expectation.  
“I thought you were meeting us out the other side.” Micah said with a small frown as he walked towards us.  
“I was. But I wanted to see Keeja.” I smiled and walked towards my cat who had sat down and was pawing at the cage. “And I need my folks to see this.” I murmured and he raised his eyebrows. I just nodded slightly.  
“The kitties are watching Anita.” Becca giggled and I knew she was right.  
“Well I never.” I heard Dad say.  
“Cool.” Peter and Josh said as one.   
I reached the safety barrier surrounding Keeja’s cage and glanced around. No one seemed to be here but us so I ducked under the barrier.  
“Anita, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” Dad said and I glanced back to see a look of worry on his face.  
“It’s okay, Dad.” I smiled at him.  
“She’s crazy.” I heard Judith say.  
“Not crazy. Just gifted.” Edward replied.  
I held my hand out before me against the fencing and Keeja scented it then rubbed his face around the fence, purring. “Hi Keeja.” I murmured and moved closer. I tickled his ear and moved so my face was almost against the cage and he licked at my bottom lip in the submissive greeting. “It’s good to see you too.”  
“How are you doing that?” Dad asked, coming to stand at the safety barrier behind me.  
“I have a connection to leopards, regular and were’s.” I didn’t look at him as I spoke but continued to tickle Keeja who was now lying on his back so I could tickle his tummy. “I also have a connection of sorts to the local werewolf pack and the cities vampire community, but the strongest is to the leopards.”  
Keeja rolled to his feet and ran into the far back of his cage. I turned to face my family and friends and the surprised look on my Dad’s face.  
“What do you mean, a connection?” Judith said, a look of horror on her face.  
“A connection.” I shrugged. “I can sense them, they’re…attracted to me as they are other leopards.”  
“The same with the vampires and the werewolves?” She was frowning at me but I was used to that.  
“Almost. Not as strong, but yeah.” I nodded.  
“Anita.” I glanced at Micah who nodded back to the cage. Keeja was coming back towards us with something in his mouth. “Looks like he got you a gift.”  
Sure enough Keeja stopped about a foot from the fence and dropped something then rolled it towards me with his nose.  
“What’s this?” I moved back to the fence and glanced down…at a hoof, possibly a horse, I really didn’t want to speculate. Keeja was looking at me, head tilted to one side. I put my hand through the bars and picked it up. The fur was soft and the bone protruded a little from the end, it was little more than a hoof and ankle but it was a gift nonetheless.  
“The hoofs are full of goodness.” Micah said, sliding under the barrier to stand beside me. Keeja stared at him hard then looked back at me. “He saved it for you, as his alpha he wants you to have it.” I managed to get the hoof through the cage and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. I was worried Donna or Judith might faint. “Here.” Micah handed me a handkerchief from his pocket. “Wrap it and put it in your pocket. You can get rid of it later so you don’t hurt his feelings.”  
“Thanks.” I wrapped it and pushed it into my pocket. “Thank you, Keeja.” He came up to the bars and I tickled him again. “I have to go now.” His ears dropped a little and he licked my hand. “But I’ll come back soon.” One final lick and tickle and I ducked back under the barrier with Micah at my side. I waved at Keeja and I walked towards the exit with everyone falling into step behind me, conversation slowly resuming.  
“What made you change your mind?” Micah asked quietly.   
“I realised I was sick of pretending not to be me. My dad needs to see who I am.” I glanced at him and his raised eyebrows. “Eventually.” I said. “I’m going to let him see a bit at a time. Real slow. Just a few things here and there.”  
“Nothing about the marks?”  
“How’d you guess?” I smiled.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita gives her dad a little window.

“That was very impressive.” Dad had managed to get me on my own slightly away from the group.  
“What?” I frowned slightly.  
“The reaction of the leopard to you. I know why you adopted him.”  
I laughed slightly. “You don’t know the half of it.”  
“So tell me.”  
I looked at him and couldn’t quite believe I was hearing it. He really wanted to know about one of the more different aspects of my life. “Micah brought me to the zoo and that was when we first noticed the reaction.”  
“Just the reaction of Keeja, was it? Or the reaction of wereleopards too?”  
“No, I already knew about that.”  
“I understand that your police work gets you quite involved with preternaturals but you seem to have an uncanny knack of attracting them, if what you say is any kind of guide.” He glanced at me and I nodded.  
“I can count the number of people who are nice normal humans I class as a good friend on one hand.” I gauged his reaction but his expression didn’t change so I added a little more. “All of my close friends are either weres or vamps.”  
“All of them?” He raised an eyebrow and glanced round.  
“Alright, the majority of them.” I shrugged. “Nathaniel’s a leopard.” I said quietly.  
“He is?” Finally a reaction I recognised. Surprise.  
“And Jason’s a wolf. And they’re the best friends a girl could ever have.”  
“Judith mentioned they’re both strippers.”  
I stopped then and turned to face him fully. “What upsets you more, Dad? The fact they’re lycanthropes or the fact they get their dicks out for a living?”  
Now his eyes went wide. “I’m not sure what you mean.” The rest of the group was stood around us looking at the animals but I was aware that most of the attention was on us, no matter how well disguised.  
“I’m not your little girl anymore, Dad. There’s a lot about me you don’t know, and wouldn’t approve of, so I don’t tell you. If you knew what went on on a regular basis in my life it would only upset you and I don’t want that. I’d rather keep you in the dark and keep things sweet between us than alienate you completely.”  
“Maybe you should try me.” He stared at me and I realised while I looked like my mom, my steely gaze was his.  
“Don’t ask me, Dad.” I shook my head. “You’ll lose any good thoughts you might have had about me.”  
“You’re my daughter. Nothing will stop me from loving you.”  
I laughed then and closed my eyes. “Remember how pissed you were when you found out about me and Jean Claude? Me, your little girl sleeping with the walking dead…”  
“I was only upset because you hadn’t told me.” He interrupted. “We had such hopes that you’d settle down with Richard…”  
It was my turn to interrupt. “And don’t get me started on him.” I walked to one of the cages nearest us and looked at the birds inside.  
“What was wrong with Richard?” He leant on the barrier beside me.  
“Not my secret to tell but he’s not quite as wholesome in the company he keeps either.”  
“You shouldn’t judge someone by the company they keep.”  
I looked at him to find an amused expression on his face and I sighed. “Let me tell you in my own time, Dad, okay? There’s a lot to tell. Don’t wanna give you a coronary.”  
He put an arm round me and kissed the top of my head. “Don’t bottle it up. Can you tell me one little thing though? Start the ball rolling?”  
“You already found out about Jason and Nathaniel.”  
“But that’s nothing to do with you. I want one of the little things that’s made you the successful woman you are today.”  
I sighed and tried to think of the least weird thing I could say. I couldn’t come up with any one thing less weird than another. The marks were definitely too weird. How could I tell him I was three quarters of the way to being immortal and tied to Jean Claude forever? I couldn’t. Leopard queen? Well it was a possibility. Lupa? No, that’d mean I’d have to tell him Richard was a wolf and like I said that wasn’t my secret to tell. Necromancer? Well, he already knew I was an animator at least but I wasn’t sure I could clarify the difference for him in a way he’d understand. So leopard queen it was.  
“Were’s generally have a leader and social group.” I started. “Wolves have packs, leopards have pards, rats have the rodere. I’m really not sure what the technical terms are for all the were families, so to speak, but in all the cases I’ve met, the only way to take over the leadership is by killing the old leader. I killed the old leader of the leopard pard and now I’m in charge.”  
“You killed their old leader?” His face was one of barely suppressed horror.   
“I told you you wouldn’t like it.” I shook my head and turned to rest my back on the barrier.  
“I’m just surprised.” He said.   
“Occupational hazard. I don’t carry this for fun you know.” I held out my jacket and showed him my Browning.   
He raised an eyebrow. “Sorry for interrupting. What happened?”  
“The old leader was an ass, and he tried to kill me so it was self defence. I sort of inherited the pard by accident. But they’re a great bunch, a little submissive, but they’re great. I like having them around.” I shrugged.  
“Why did the leader try and kill you?” Dad definitely looked surprised now.  
I smirked and hid a giggle. “You won’t like it.”  
“Try me.”  
I raised an eyebrow. “Okay, but just remember I warned you. To cut a long story short there was this guy and his cronies who was going to kill Jean Claude and Richard. They gave me over to the leopard leader so I wouldn’t get in the way of their plan. The leopard leader was a complete sicko and he didn’t actually just want to kill me, he wanted to rape me and kill me as he was doing so for a porn film.” I watched Dad carefully as I told him, expecting some sort of reaction but his face simply stayed in the same expression.  
“Well, you’re right. I didn’t realise your life was quite so…graphic.”  
“It gets worse but that’s all you’re getting for now.” The rest of the group started moving forward so Dad and I tagged along, still staying separate. Micah was with Nathaniel and Jason and they were all watching me carefully.  
“So what does it entail, being their leader?”  
“Keeping them in line and protecting them, mostly. They need a leader to make sure they don’t do anything stupid and keep the pard generally as a functional group.”  
“And how many are there in the pard?”  
“It started out at six but I think its going to get a lot bigger. I’m not sure on the number exactly yet.”  
“How does it get bigger?”  
“Sometimes people get infected but that doesn’t happen very often and I’ve pretty much forbidden the pard from deliberately infecting anyone. I don’t need the grief of trying to break in new members. I don’t know what I’m doing most of the time, never mind with something like that. Also people from pards in other areas can petition to join.”  
“So how is yours increasing?”  
“I’m joining it with a pard from another area. They’re moving to St Louis and we’re all going to look out for each other. I’m hoping I’m going to be able learn more about the whole pard life thing from them.”  
Dad stopped and rested a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. “Anita, if you are a wereleopard, you can tell me.”  
I smiled at him. “I’m a lot of things, Dad, but a were isn’t one of them.”  
“And they accept you as their leader despite that?”  
“For the most part. There’s one member who’s not keen on the idea but she’s not got the moxy to bump me off so I’m the one. I can ask Nathaniel if he’ll try and explain it to you, if you like.”  
“Alright. I’d like to try and understand your life a little better, Anita. I don’t like not knowing what’s really going on with my little girl.”  
I blushed slightly. “Haven’t I proved I’m not that innocent anymore yet?”  
“It takes a lot to scar a father’s image of his favourite daughter.”  
“I’m your only daughter.”  
“Then it’s just as well you’re my favourite.”  
I laughed. “I’ll call Nathaniel over.”  
He bounded over and I noted Micah’s frown. I smiled at him and mouthed ‘I’m okay’ and he quirked me a soft sideways smile. Dammit I’d been too far from him for too long. Get this over quickly then get back by Micah’s side.  
“Nathaniel, I hope you don’t mind, I told Dad that you’re a were.”  
“I don’t mind.” He smiled. He was walking very close to my side so our arms kept brushing against each other.  
“And he wants to know why you accept me as leader of the pard.”  
“Because you’re our Nimir Ra.” He frowned slightly and I smiled at him.  
“In terms my Dad would understand.”  
“Oh.” He looked at my Dad then back at me and I nodded. “She protects us. She takes care of us. If any one of us is harmed she takes it personally as a crime against the pard and acts on it. She’s the best Nimir Ra we could have asked for. Better than we could have dreamed.”  
“What’s a Nimir Ra?”  
I took that one. “There’s different kinds of leaders. There’s a leoparde passant which means sleeping leopard. It’s someone who leads but doesn’t protect. That’s what their old leader was like.” Nathaniel visibly shuddered at the thought of Gabriel. I took his hand and he gave it a gentle squeeze, offering me a small smile. “Then there’s leoparde lionne which is what I started out as. I protect them, take care of them, and enforce pard law.”  
“How does that differ from a Nimir Ra?” Dad looked puzzled.  
“Nimir Ra, or Raj for a male, is someone who…has it in them I guess. It’s like being leopard queen rather than just a leader.” I looked to Nathaniel for help. I still didn’t know how to put it into words.  
“She connects to us on a level only she or a Nimir Raj can. We can sense when she’s near, how she’s feeling and it is so much more than scent alone. We gain from her presence.”  
“And I gain from theirs.” I smiled at him. “It’s weird were stuff. It can’t be explained easily, it’s just the way it is.”  
Dad nodded as though he understood but I wasn’t sure he did. It was Mom’s side of the family that I got my more ‘sensitive’ side from, as far as I knew no one in Dad’s family had even so much as seen a ghost never mind anything else. “If that’s the mildest story you can tell me, I have a feeling I’m glad you don’t want to tell me everything at once.” He smiled softly. “It’ll take some getting used to, knowing that your life isn’t as normal as I’d have liked for you. But if that’s the way it is, that’s the way it is. I’ll try my best to understand although I can’t promise I won’t worry more.”  
“Just don’t worry overly. I have plenty of other people to worry about me.”  
“Is Micah one of them?”  
“Partly.” I screwed up my nose. “Micah accepts what I do and supports me.”  
“Sounds like just the kind of man you need.”  
“One of them.” I smiled. “Now can we get back to the tour? The penguins are coming up.”  
“Still obsessed with penguins.” He shook his head. “It’s good to know some things never change.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita and Merle stow their shit.

We got through the rest of the zoo without any argument or attack, either by each other or murderous weres, and I was glad to get back to holding Micah’s hand, or at least alternating between him and Nathaniel. The conversation with my Dad had disturbed me a little. I liked keeping things from him; keeping up an illusion with him was easier than telling the truth ninety-nine percent of the time, but now he had a little window into my life and I was worried his opinion of me might be changed forever. I wasn’t sure if he was going to tell Judith, although I was certain he wouldn’t tell Josh; at seventeen he was too young to be corrupted by my kind of lifestyle, even I didn’t want him to know. I didn’t mind him knowing that vamps and weres weren’t bad, but letting him see them close up and in their element? That was a definite no-no.  
Dad invited us back to his hotel for a drink in the bar but we declined, saying I was still tired from working so late last night, and once he drove off after promising to call me on my cell so we could arrange to say goodbye before they left town, I was left to follow Edward back to our hotel. Jason and Nathaniel tagged along with us, following in Jason’s car. I told Stephen and Gregory they could go on their way now, that we should be okay and neither of them were the kind who’d argue the fact and I was glad of it. I was ready for a rest, even if that only entailed sitting round a hotel room, sharing strategy with Edward and cleaning my guns. Maybe I could get him and Merle to get lost so I could spend a quiet afternoon on the couch with Micah. Yeah and that was a pig that just flew past. And unless Nathaniel and Jason would let me drop them off somewhere I had a feeling we’d be stuck with them too. Not that I minded really, but just sitting around with them all looking expectantly at me didn’t really hold any attraction.  
We got back to the hotel and once Edward had got Donna and the kids settled in their room with whatever activity they were going to do for the rest of the evening he came through to our suite where I was standing waiting for him. Jason and Nathaniel were lounging on the couch, Merle was sat in the armchair nearest the door, part faced toward it, part faced toward the room. Micah was watching me from the table and chairs where he sat. Sure he had a newspaper spread out on the table in front of him but he was watching me just the same. He knew it, I knew it, hell everyone in the room knew it, but we kept up the illusion anyway. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust what I might do, he just had to watch me, like the way I had to watch him, and even now while I stared at Edward as he lazily took a seat opposite Merle and put up his feet as though he didn’t have a care in the world, I still watched Micah. Maybe not directly with my eyes but my body knew he was there; my beast.  
“You know, I’m pretty sure nothing is going to happen tonight so there’s no need for everyone to hang around.” Five sets of eyes turned on me, each with a different expression in their depths. Merle was scowling; Edward was looking at me suspiciously; Nathaniel looked a little saddened; Jason looked like he was thinking ‘and I bet I know why.’ And as if to confirm it he winked at me. Micah’s eyes however were totally neutral. I think he wanted to wait and see which way I played my cards before he played his. In truth all I wanted was not to be the centre of attention for once. I’d had enough of that today and was pretty sure we’d be safe. So far none of Jon’s other attacks had been in a public place, at least not where other people might have seen. Sure the bodies had been found in pretty busy places but the actual kills had been done while no one else was around. And although the wolf had attacked me in front of three witnesses it wasn’t like he could walk through a hotel in wolf form or even change in one of the corridors; this place was littered with security cameras and I knew that was just another reason Edward was staying here.  
“Why?” Merle said eventually.  
Nathaniel gave him a startled look and Micah voiced what I could only assume was on Nathaniel’s mind. “Questioning your Nimir Ra?” His voice was light when he said it, as though he’d known Merle would be the one to speak up.  
They stared at each other for a moment and I could only guess at Micah’s expression as I kept my eyes on Merle. There were two ways this could go and I was too tired for it to go one of those ways.   
“I meant no disrespect.” Merle said eventually, but he still looked at Micah.  
“It’s not me you should be apologising to.”  
Merle turned slate grey eyes on me. I could feel his metaphysical hackles were up but that was all. “All I meant, Anita, was what are you planning to do if we leave.”  
Jason snorted quietly, “Some apology.” It was so quiet I wasn’t sure Edward had heard but the rest of us had.   
Merle was on his feet in an instant. Jason was on the side of the couch nearest him and Nathaniel started to move away from Jason on the couch. Edward, who was fast, for a normo that is, was on his feet with his hand on his gun a moment later. I felt Micah stand slowly behind me.  
“Just what the hell is that supposed to mean, wolf?” Merle demanded.  
I was in front of Merle in three large steps, my right arm already drawn slightly back. My beast was radiating through me in a humming line and I felt every were in the room’s beast react to it. I caught him hard on the left shoulder and spun him back into his chair, using his own weight as momentum, and put myself between him and Jason who I could feel change from worried to relieved in an instant.  
“He means you question my authority then tell me why. Your Nimir Raj demanded you apologise to me. It’s not Jason’s fault you don’t know any Pard etiquette.”  
Merle was looking up at me with angry eyes but he didn’t move from his slouched position in the chair, his arms against the arm rests. The chair had shunted back slightly as his weight hit it so he was further back that he started. I didn’t want to start a fight with Merle but it seemed to be what he was aiming for and I couldn’t figure out why. Still, fighting I could do.  
We stared at each other long and hard. I fought the urge to blink. No one else had moved. I think everyone was worried about which way this would go for different reasons. But one thing was for sure, if fighting with Merle; proving myself his alpha, was the only way to get his respect and cooperation, then that was his call.  
He eventually lowered his eyes, without even a glance at Micah, and moved to kneel at my feet. “I meant no disrespect. I was only concerned for your safety, Nimir Ra.” I couldn’t see his eyes but his body was humming; he wasn’t necessarily happy to have to abase himself at my feet but he was doing it just the same. Hello, reception? Brownie point basket for Merle please.  
I offered him my hand which he looked at before he took and rubbed his face against it. I hadn’t expected him to lick it, that was too submissive for Merle, but scent marking me was a damn good start at knitting our Pards together.  
“Apology accepted.” I nodded and drew him to his feet. Merle finally glanced at Micah who was approaching slowly. I turned to him myself to find him smiling at us.  
“It’s about time you two got your act together.”  
“What the fuck was that?” Edward all but yelled. We all turned to see him with his gun out but pointed at the floor. He was still in a shooting stance however.  
“That was the end of an internal power struggle.” Micah said, turning his shining eyes on him. “At least it had better be.”  
“Our Pard, your Pard.” Merle said and I released his hand. “May I rephrase the question?”  
“Sure.” I shrugged. I was close enough to him that I could kick him if he was disrespectful again.  
“I need to know you're both stay safe. What will you do if we leave?”  
A small smile played on my lips and I raised my eyebrows then glanced at Micah. He suddenly seemed very interested in his shoes. Merle flushed ever so slightly.  
“What we do is our business.” I said eventually. “But you can rest assured whatever it is will stay in this room, or at least the hotel. Right now, all I want is a little space.”  
“If I have both your words you won’t leave this room unaccompanied and won’t leave the hotel at all tonight, I’ll leave you. But it would be careless of me not to get that promise from those I protect, no matter how capable they are.”  
“My word.” I placed my hand over my heart and Micah echoed me.  
“Well that’s good enough for me too.” Edward said, putting his gun up. “Scream if you need me.” And he was gone through the connecting door.  
“Either of you boys need a lift?  
Nathaniel looked at me imploringly and Jason gave me an impish look. He knew if I was here for the night, I’d need a midnight snack who hadn’t been ardeur chow in the last twenty-four hours.  
“Jason has a car.” I said, my eyes not leaving Jason’s face as his smirk went to an all out one hundred watt grin. “He can drop Nathaniel off wherever he wants to go.” Although I knew if I asked Nathaniel wherever he wanted to go he’d say here. Still it was his prerogative to do so and once Merle was gone I was going to give him that option.  
“Alright.” Merle nodded. “I’ll be back here at eight am, sharp.” He picked up his bag but paused with his handle on the door. “Unless you’d rather I stayed here? Got another room that is.” He looked at Micah who I sensed rather than saw shake his head and Merle moved his gaze to me.  
“I think we’ll be okay. This place is pretty pricey.” I said.  
Merle started to sigh but caught himself but not before I’d noticed, then smiled a flash of white teeth. “Can’t blame a bodyguard for trying. Goodnight.” And he was gone. I wasn’t entirely sure he was really going or was going to try for a room anyway but I didn’t care, he was out of sight, out of mind and I found myself releasing a sigh before I’d realised it.  
“So now the heavies have gone does the fun begin?” Jason beamed.  
The phone began to ring as Nathaniel said; “Do I really have to leave?”  
“No.” I shook my head. “That’s your choice. If you want to stay, which I got the impression you would, that’s up to you.” Micah had answered the phone without being asked, seeing as I was talking to the other two people in the room he was the only one free.  
“And me?” Jason's face showed that he already knew the answer to that and I told him as much.  
“You know it, I know it, Micah and Nathaniel both know it. I need a midnight and as you’re here…”  
“You make it sound like such a chore.” Jason did a mock swoon. “Am I so unattractive to you?” His voice was playful but I didn’t want to hurt his feelings so I went for sugar coated truth.  
“You’re my friend, Jason. I value our friendship and your honesty in everything I ask you about and some things I don’t. I’d rather you were my friend than desperate time fuck buddy.”  
“Your wish is granted.” Micah said and I turned to see him holding the phone out to me. “It’s Jean Claude.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean Claude can say what he likes. The effect is the same.

I took the call in the bedroom.  
“Ma petite, what have I missed? You were in the middle of something I could feel. Who were you altercating with now?”  
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Merle. Something happened here tonight and I’m not sure any of us have quite grasped how big yet.”  
“Big good or big bad?”  
“Good, I think. He may finally be accepting me as a figure of authority, not just someone who constantly endangers his Nimir Raj.”  
“That is wonderful news, is it not?”  
 “I guess so.”  
“So why do you not sound happier?”  
I sighed and sat down heavily on the bed. “It’s been a long day.”  
“Ah yes.” I could hear the smile in his voice and dreaded what might come next. “How was the family outing?”  
“Fantastic.” I said without feeling. “I told my Dad some stuff he didn’t know about me.”  
“Metaphysical stuff?” I could feel him frowning as he said it and it made my skin creep.  
“Just a little.”  
“What happened?”  
“I got sick of trying to play little Miss Perfect when I’m anything but.”  
“Well that all depends on what we are discussing. I can think of a number of things that you are…perfect at.” He put on his best seductive voice as he said perfect, as though he realised how his frown had affected me and replaced it with hot gooseflesh.  
“Was there something else you wanted?” I asked, realising I sounded breathy and he laughed, making me shiver all the more.  
“I have not held you in two nights. Come to me at the circus tonight.”  
I shook my head and realised he couldn’t see. “No can do, Jean Claude. I promised Merle we’d stay here tonight.”  
“And we all know how much you value your promises.” He sighed, in frustration I think. “May I come to you?”  
I thought about it for a moment. “I really want to see you, Jean Claude.” And I realised I really did. I had an overwhelming urge to hold him, just because I could, and allow his pure white body to take all my troubles away, if only for one night. “But I kind of promised midnight to your pomme de sang.” Then I realised something. “If Jason’s here, who are you plump on?”  
He laughed and it was as though silk had been trailed over my skin. “Ma petite, when will you learn while Jason has a privileged position, there are others who would offer their…services to the Master of the City.”  
I shrugged and left it at that. “Come to me, Jean Claude.” I closed my eyes and steeled myself for what I was going to say next. “I need you to hold me.”  
He was silent for a moment as if he were unsure what to say. “It took a great deal for you to admit that.” He stated.   
“Hell, yeah.”  
“I will come to you, ma petite. Do you wish I should bring Asher?”  
“Is he there listening?”  
“Non.”  
“Then no. I don’t want to hurt his feelings but right now I’d rather it was just the two of us.”  
“Consider it done. As soon as it is full dark I will come to you. What is your hotel room?” I told him. “I will go and prepare and let you break the news to our wolf that his services are not required.”  
“Chicken.” I said.  
“Cluck cluck.” He said, but he made sure his voice was at its most magically seductive and it was all I could do to remain dry under such an onslaught. I’d certainly never had a barnyard animal noise effect me like that before. But the night was still young.  
Jean Claude had hung up while I was still getting over his hen impression and there was a soft knock at the door.  
I swallowed twice before I could speak and replaced the handset, although reluctant to do so as though Jean Claude were still on the other end. “Come in.”  
It was Micah. He was frowning slightly. “Are you…alright?”  
I nodded and he came and sat on the bed behind me. “Jean Claude.” I said simply and he nodded although I wasn’t sure he understood. “He’s coming over. I get to explain to Jason he gets the night off.”  
He drew his breath in through his teeth. “He was looking forward to it.”  
I laughed then. “Jason is a guy. Of course he was looking forward to it. But if it’s Jean Claude taking his place he can’t be caught bitching too loud.”  
“You want me and Nathaniel to get lost for a few hours too?”  
I turned to look at him for the first time, my face serious. “You don’t really want to sit the other side of the door listening, do you?”  
“Not particularly. But I also didn’t know if you wanted company.”  
I sighed heavily. “I think this is one of those times I just need to be held by one guy. The one who started all this.”  
He nodded once. “I’ll see if Nathaniel wants to use the sauna and pool.”  
A thought struck me, just how unreasonable I was being. “I’m sorry. It’s not fair to turf you out all night. I’ll call Jean Claude and put him off.” I even had my hand on the receiver. Micah rolled effortlessly across the bed and stopped me with a hand atop my own.  
“If you need to see Jean Claude, I understand. There are some things only a master and servant can do.”  
I lowered my eyes then. “Not this.”  
“You just want Jean Claude. It’s okay that you want him and not me, Anita. You’ve been through a lot more together.”  
I glanced back up into his eyes. He was close, with his arm reached across in front of me, our faces were almost touching and I realised I could feel his breath on my face. “It’s not about sex.”  
He smiled wistfully. “Who said it was about sex?”  
I realised no one had. I’d just assumed… “I’d better break it to Jason.”  
Jason took it better than I thought; he took it like a man, without too much disappointment. He left shortly afterwards.   
“Is Jean Claude going to feed the ardeur?” Nathaniel asked once it was just the three of us.  
“I guess so.” I said. In truth I hadn’t thought that deeply about it. All I’d wanted was to be held and thinking about it, logically, I had two guys here just perfect for that and more if I wanted it. Not only that but I gained from their presence, a calming in a way that I didn’t gain from Jean Claude. All I gained from him was a good dose of the horn. “But until then, there’s something the two of you can do for me.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pard cuddles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I normally only post one chapter a day on this story but SURPRISE! I added an extra one today! 
> 
> Firstly, because this is short, and both the last two chapters together don't greatly advance the story, they are incidental.  
> Secondly, because something is coming, the finale is building and I wanted to get another step closer to that.  
> And thirdly, because I'm feeling nice!
> 
> There are two more stories to go after this one, all complete just waiting for us! I'm trying not to rush but *squeeeee* I'm so excited to be sharing them!

Micah, Nathaniel and I retired to the bedroom shortly after my call to Jean Claude. I lay in the circle of their arms, letting their touch take all the troubles of the day away; or at least enough to let me try and relax. I hadn’t realised how tightly wound up I was until I tried. I lay for a long time with my eyes open, gazing across Nathaniel’s smooth chest at the door as though I expected someone to burst through it at any moment. I didn’t like us lying with Nathaniel nearest the door but this was our regular positions at home and some habits were hard to break despite my protestations.   
Nathaniel had fallen asleep almost the instant my head rested on his shoulder, his slow steady breathing a comforting background to what I’d discovered was my own blood rushing in my ears, a sure sign I was uptight about something.  
Micah’s arm was curved around me, his palm rested on Nathaniel's stomach. They’d both stripped down to their underwear for the group hug, me? I’d taken off all my lunch date gear and thrown on an oversized t-shirt. Micah wasn’t asleep either, I could tell both by his breathing and from the way his body was set. I realised he was pretty tense too, I hadn’t thought about how all the current events might have affected him. We both needed a vacation just from my life. His wasn’t as stressful until you added mine to the pot then it not only overflowed but flooded the room too.  
As though he’d realised I was thinking about him he snuggled closer and I was aware of him pressed against my butt, not hard but still oh so impressive. He placed a soft kiss on the back of my neck as he spoke softly.  
“Try and relax.”  
“Easier said than done.”  
“Wanna talk about it?”  
I sighed. “Which part of ‘it’ do you mean?”  
I felt him shrug. “Whichever part you want.”  
I thought for a moment before I spoke. “I don’t mean to make your life more difficult, you know that, right?”  
“Of course.” He chuckled softly.   
“But I still manage it, just the same.”  
He raised his head so he could look at me, a small frown bringing his eyebrows slightly closer together. “Are we going to go over the who’s caused who more grief thing again?”  
I turned my head so I could see him better. “No matter what you first brought to the table, you’ve only done it once. I keep on…” I didn’t get to finish what I was going to say as he pressed his lips to mine in a firm kiss. When we parted he rested his forehead against mine and I was treated to a close up view of his beautiful eyes.  
“I don’t want this to come up every time something happens in your life and I stand by you. I want to be with you, Anita. One of these days I’ll have a problem that’ll crop up and I know for a fact you’ll stand by me because that’s just the kind of person you are. You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not, but the sooner you accept that and move on, the better.”  
I looked at him for long moments then leant up and kissed him gently. “One of these days that bubble will burst and you won’t think the same.” He started to protest but I stopped him, “But until then I’ll try and get on with it.”  
“Good.” He rubbed our noses together. “Now lay down and relax. You don’t have to sleep, just chill out until Jean Claude gets here. Heaven knows you’ll need your energy.”  
I chuckled and snuggled back against Nathaniel who hadn’t even stirred, as Micah settled himself against my back. I felt myself relaxing inch by inch and it was as though I was melting. I half realised I was starting to doze off as my muscles unknotted and my body settled. It was as the blackness took me, so I couldn’t quite be sure, that I thought I heard Micah say; “I love you.” But maybe I dreamt it.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean Claude kind of shows up, Anita plays fast and loose with her promise to Merle.

I slept longer and harder than I’d thought. Certainly harder than I ought to, considering there were people out there after me. When I awoke it was still dark but there was only one body pressed against my back, and it was too tall to be Micah. With the thought I realised it was vampiric energy, and with that knowledge came the familiar feel of Jean Claude. I’d been so out of it I hadn’t noticed Micah and Nathaniel leave and Jean Claude take their place. The room was completely dark and I could make nothing out in the room, not even an outline.  
“Ma petite?” His voice was soft in my ear, ruffling my hair slightly.  
“Mmm.” I murmured and snuggled a little closer. “I’m awake. Kind of.”  
“I beg to differ but for now you must accept my apology.”  
I sighed but still didn’t move. “What the fuck have you done now?”  
“Done?” His voice held the quality of the truly confused. “I do not understand.”  
“If you’re apologising for something you must have done something to need to apologise for it.” I squinted my eyes in an effort to wake up but they still felt heavy.  
“And that is what I am apologising for, for doing nothing.”  
Now I was confused. I pushed away from him enough to sit myself up and stared at him. The darkness was so overwhelming that all I could make out was his eyes and teeth as he spoke. That was weird. “You’ve done nothing and you’re apologising for it?” I was frowning, hard.  
“I have to cancel our tete a tete for this evening.”  
“But…” Then it dawned on me. “This is a dream, isn’t it?”  
“Oui, I am afraid so. Some urgent matters have arisen that as Master of the City I must attend.”  
“Do you need me?”  
“Non. You rest. I will make it up to you, I promise you that. But for now I must go. Abientot, ma amour.” And he was gone.  
I blinked my eyes open, truly this time, as the feel of Nathaniel and Micah came back to me. That was unlike Jean Claude. Okay, maybe not really, he always was a sly bastard, but when he knew I needed him…something was afoot and I didn’t like being left out in the cold, or the dark for that matter. I set about untangling myself from their oh so warm bodies but froze when I felt Micah begin to stir.  
“What’s happening?” He murmured; his voice heavy with sleep. He propped himself up on one elbow and looked at me while rubbing his eye.  
“It’s okay. I’ll be right back.” I kissed his cheek softly and slid out of bed as elegantly as possible when wedged between two lycanthrope honeys.  
I went out into the main room where there was still a side lamp on and it cast gentle shadows over the rest of the room. I picked up the phone and called Jean Claude’s private number. Eight rings and no answer. He was such a liar. He could hide it from me in dreams but I could still tell he was bullshitting me. I glanced at my watch; just after one am. The ardeur hadn’t struck and I couldn’t feel it, even as I thought about it. A blessing or a curse, either way I ignored it, hoping it’d stay that way. I called Jean Claude’s other businesses and found him at none of them. I even tried the main number for the Circus of the Damned and got no joy either. It was as if he was nowhere around. That was unlike him.  
“What’s going on? And don’t tell me nothing.” Micah stood behind me and I looked at him. Something in my face made him frown and come towards me. “Something has happened, hasn’t it?”  
“I don’t know.” I sighed heavily. “Jean Claude hasn’t shown up. He sent me a dream saying he had to cancel, that everything was okay, but I don’t think so. I can’t reach him anywhere.”  
“What could have happened?” He put and arm around me and I leant into him.  
“Don’t get me started on worst case scenarios; we’d be here all night. I have to go find out what’s going on.” I went through into the bedroom and started getting dressed.   
“You promised Merle you wouldn’t leave the hotel.” Micah whispered and Nathaniel stirred slightly. Instead of finishing dressing I grabbed my clothes and weaponry and went into the living area to finish getting dressed.  
“Actually I promised him I wouldn’t leave the hotel last night. Its tomorrow now, and morning so I’m breaking nothing.”  
“Sneaky.” He said shaking his head. “It’s not safe, Anita. I’ll come with you.”  
“Alright.” I nodded as I pulled on my jeans.  
He looked at me; a look of almost disbelief crossed his face. “As simple as that, you agree?”  
“Yeah, why not?” I stood and buttoned the top. “It’s me everyone seems to be after right now and I trust you with my back.”  
“Shit.” He said and shook his head. “I was expecting an argument. I’ll go get dressed. You want me to wake Nathaniel?”  
“No, we’ll leave him a note. Let him sleep.”  
We hit the parking lot seven minutes later at a gentle trot. I wasn’t so worried that I’d flat out run, but I sure didn’t want to stroll either.  
“What do you think’s happened?” Micah asked as soon as we were moving through the deserted streets.  
“No idea.” I shook my head.  
“What exactly did Jean Claude say?”  
I thought for a moment. “Something about business he had to attend to. Master of the City business.”  
Micah turned as far as his seatbelt would allow him to look at me. I could feel the weight of his gaze even in the dark. “Did he sound alarmed? Or worried?”  
“Not really. But something wasn’t right. It struck a chord and I want to be sure it’s all okay.”  
“So there’s not some major emergency?”  
“Maybe.”  
He sighed heavily. “Did Jean Claude say anything else?”  
“Only that he didn’t need me and that he’d make it up to me later.”  
“Anita, is it possible he really doesn’t need you? That he thought you needed to rest more?” We stopped at a red light and gave way to no one. I was silent too long and he continued. “Did it occur to you that maybe he can do this one without you? That there really is nothing you can do?”  
“All the same I’d like to check. I don’t like no one answering from Jean Claude’s private phone. There should be someone there. Jason, Ernie, anyone but I got no answer at all.”  
“Then promise me one thing.” I wanted to see his face as he said this, so if it was something I didn’t like he’d be able to tell but driving in the dark kind of limited my options. “If it turns out to be nothing we’ll turn right back and go get some more sleep before the ardeur decides to pounce.”  
“Alright. I promise.”   
That seemed to be good enough for him as he went back to watching the road as we drove to the Circus and whatever might be waiting.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard & Jean Claude gang up on Anita, Micah gets the flak for it.

The staff parking lot at the Circus of the Damned was full considering it was gone two thirty in the morning. Guess either there was something going on or a lot of people were working late tonight. I used my key on the back door and let Micah and I through, checking it was securely locked behind us. We walked down the stairs side by side, taking exactly the same number of steps per step on the strangely spaced stairway. Another good thing about us being so near in height, walking together is a breeze.  
The closer we got to the large door at the bottom of the stairs, the more noise we could hear. An argument or some other high voiced discussion was going on. I didn’t reach for the Browning, there was nothing other than an altercation, as Jean Claude would put it, going on, but then there was a solid thud and a yelp and the Browning was in my hand without me realising. I held a hand up to Micah, keeping him a little behind me but he shook his head. He didn’t want me in the lead. I was going to protest, quietly of course, when he touched his nose and I knew he meant he’d smelt something, or someone. He leant in close and murmured; “Jean Claude, Richard, Asher and another I don’t recognise, wolf though.” I was relieved. At least our people outnumbered the other person, whoever that was. I put up my gun.  
“We will not ask again.” Jean Claude voice was like a thundercloud, dark and threatening.  
I nodded and Micah pushed the door. “Ask what?” I asked and strolled in as casually as I could.  
Every eye turned on me, and I was surprised. Jean Claude and Richard should have sensed my presence at least. The other person in the room was a woman, young, pretty, very blonde although how natural that was was questionable, and with a small trickle of blood running from her forehead although the actual wound seemed to have mostly healed. She was off to my right and picking herself up off the floor. At least I knew what the thud and yelp were, or who rather.  
“Anita, I told you not to come.” Jean Claude frowned at me.  
“And you thought I’d take notice?” I raised my eyebrows. “Shame on you, Jean Claude.”  
“All the same, this is under control. Go, I will call you later.” His eyes and voice were not happy. If he really didn't wanted me here he should have made more of a point instead of making me think he was hiding something. I mean sure, he was, but hiding something that might have involved me.  
“I’m here now.” I shrugged.  
Asher came towards me shaking his head and placed a hand on my arm. “You really should leave, ma cherie. Truly I think it would be best.”  
I looked up at him and I saw his eyes flinch a little. I could stare down the best of them when I had to and right now my eyes said; if you want me to go you’ll have to move me yourself. He looked back at Jean Claude who in turn glanced at Richard who made a frustrated growl.  
“Wait for me to finish this.” He snarled and marched towards me.  
“Your turn to try and convince me?” I said but instead of saying anything or even breaking stride he simply bent when he reached me, slung me over his shoulder and marched toward the corridor leading to the private quarters.  
“What the fuck are you doing, Richard? Put me the hell down!” I tried to squirm but he had a tight grip on my legs and all I was left with was beating my fists on his back which seemed a little too 1920’s silent movie for my liking and rather pointless given the amount of damage Richard could actually take so I just continued to bitch instead.  
Micah moved toward me, to help I think, but Jean Claude said; “Micah, leave them.” And after a glance at Jean Claude he stayed where he was. Oh now that ticked me off.  
Finally Richard dumped me on my ass in one of the spare rooms, one that I knew he knew locked from the outside. “Just stay there.” He yelled at me and slammed the door, locking it as I’d known he would.  
I was on my feet as the locks slammed home and I hammered on the door with both fists. “Open this freakin’ door, now! Open it or I’ll take the lock out myself! Hey! You can’t just leave me here!” When no one came I kicked the door a couple of times for good measure. I was so mad. At all of them. I actually had the Browning in my hand and was contemplating shooting the lock out, or the hinges, and the best method when the locks clicked and the door open. So I decided to point the Browning at whoever came through, to make my point.  
Micah stopped before he closed the door behind him and tilted his head to one side. “You going to shoot me?”  
“I’m thinking about it.”  
“Anita, don’t be mad.” I just stared at him. “Okay, too late. But just hear me out.”  
“The first two bullets are steel. I could shoot you in the kneecaps and step over you and you’d heal just fine.”  
“Gee, you’re real mad.” He smiled and I fought not to smile myself. Sometimes I wished he didn’t affect me so easily, not very often but still, sometimes. He stayed where he was. I kept the browning on him for another moment then put it up. There was no point in keeping it out if I wasn’t actually going to shoot him, which I wasn’t.  
“I just got hauled off my feet and dumped in a room by my ex-fiancé who locked me in while my two boyfriends didn’t help but carried on and obviously kept something from me. Yeah, I’m mad. And you’re in the firing line because you were stupid enough to come in here first. I’d rather it’d been Richard but you’ll do.” I walked calmly towards him and he watched me carefully. He didn’t know me well enough to read me completely and at this moment even I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I thought about getting physical but after the initial surprise I’d be on the losing end. I just wasn’t as strong and didn’t want to hurt him too bad, not really. In fact the more I thought about it the less pissed I was with him. It was Richard who’d hauled me in here and Jean Claude who’d stopped Micah coming after me immediately. In fact he was as outnumbered as I was in the room. Two vamps and an alpha wolf against an alpha leopard and a whatever I was wasn’t bad odds but wouldn’t have been my choice, especially not when we were all meant to be on the same side. So I went for verbal. I didn’t raise my voice; I just got up in his face and spoke very slowly and clearly.  
“What the fuck is going on out there? There had better be a good explanation or your ass is grass.”  
“Don’t shoot the messenger.” He said quietly, his breath brushed my face and simply that made me realise I wasn’t as mad with him as I had been. It really had been us against them and not in a way we’d want to fight our way out of.  
“Just tell me.” I lowered my voice to a whisper.  
“You won’t like it.” He whispered and moved his face closer to mine, so that his breath was caressing my lips and barely anything separated us. My pulse sped up despite how mad I was. He’d kept eye contact which made it all the more intimate and although we weren’t touching at all it was so much more than it should have been. In recent months I’d come to realise I was a sexual creature and when it came to the men in my life it didn’t take much to get me going.   
“I already don’t like it.” His bottom lip brushed mine oh so gently and I drew in a breath as goosebumps broke out over my skin. “I’m still mad at you.” I reminded him.  
“So I can see.” He murmured. “The woman had petitioned to join Thronnos Rokke.”  
That took me back a little, he was actually going to tell me. “What has that to do with Jean Claude?”  
“She’s linked with another areas vampire community.” He brushed my lip again.  
“Where?”  
“They didn’t say.”  
“What was it Jean Claude wouldn’t ask again?”  
The look in his eyes changed and I knew this was why I’d been removed from the equation. I felt my eyes narrow then he surprised me. He took hold of the tops of my arms and kissed me hard and full on the lips, taking my breath away and making me melt. When we parted it was with such speed that I actually staggered back two steps, my breathing heavy and my heart racing.  
“What was that for?” I asked and he smiled sadly.  
“You won’t want to carry on once I’ve told you. You’ll want to go racing out there even though I’ll tell you that it's too late, she’s gone.”  
I closed my eyes and shook my head, there were too many things going on at once. Okay, so it was only two things but when one of them was Micah getting hot and heavy it was real difficult to concentrate on breathing, let alone anything else. “Okay, she’s gone and what you’re going to tell me I’m not going to like and I’m probably going to hit someone. Tell me.”  
He put his hands in his pockets and glanced down then back up at me. “She’s the wolf who tried for you the other night.”  
“What?!” I started for the door and he stepped aside to let me pass.  
“She’s gone.” He called after me but I kept going.  
It didn’t take a genius to realise what had happened. She’d petitioned Richard and he had recognised her scent from my coat. Instead of bringing it to me he decided to take it to Jean Claude, which was unusual even given her vampiric ties, but still, neither of them should have kept this from me. When I reached Jean Claude’s lounge area again Richard and Asher were gone and Jean Claude was reclined on the couch.  
“I wondered how long our cat could contain you.” He smiled and stood with a fluid grace.  
“You let her walk out of here?”  
“She is delivering a message.”  
“I don’t give a fuck what she’s doing!” I stormed up to him and pushed him back down to sitting. “She tried to kill me and you let her walk away.”  
“The message is more important, ma petite.”  
“More important than me still breathing?” I was waving my hands around and he’d leant back to stay out of their way.  
“To keep you breathing, yes.” He said and finally grabbed my hands to stop them. He tugged on them hard, dragging me to my knees in front of him and he leant forward holding me in place. “Her master, Lucius, from Des Moines in Iowa, had sent her to kill you.” His voice was light but his grip hard. He wanted me to listen and actually hear what he was saying so I didn’t fight, despite the rage I had bottled inside me. “She knew that as she had failed either Lucius or your good self would kill her, it would only be a matter of time, so she tried for the safety of Richard and his pack. He brought her here when he found out what had occurred.”  
I took two deep breaths while looking into the depths of his eyes and finally said; “What was the message?”  
“That any further attempts on you, failed or otherwise, will result in an out and out war between our territories.”  
I stared at him and knew it was true and I couldn’t believe it. “You’d risk all of this for me?”  
“You seem to be forgetting one thing, as I am hoping Lucius will; if you die there is a very real chance that I will go with you. It is a moot point but I am hoping that the fact I would threaten war will stop him.”  
“What did I ever do to him?” The anger was seeping out of me, again, and I think it was Jean Claude’s mooted threat. Even if I did survive another attack I wasn’t sure our people could take that of Des Moines.   
“You are a federal marshal and not only that but the executioner for his state as well as our own. You are bound to have trodden on his diplomatic toes at some point or another, even if it was sanctioned by the courts. Each of us have our own sense of justice, but some of us believe they are a law unto themselves.” I knew by us he meant vampires. “Some of us of course have the luxury of knowing the law personally.” He smiled and released my hands. “And those of us that have that luxury know just what buttons to…push.” He put his power into the last word and I sank from my knees to sitting on my heels.  
“I hate that you know how to make me less angry.”  
“I know.” He said knowingly and leant in and kissed my forehead.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little arguing, little smutting, little bit of all sorts really!

It was almost 6am and Micah was driving us back to the hotel. The ardeur had finally reared its head and Jean Claude had put it well and truly back in its box which meant I was incapable of driving. I was fighting sleep for all I was worth but old insecurities just wouldn’t let me do it in a moving vehicle.  
After what seemed an inconceivably long journey we reached the hotel and walked hand in hand to our room, not speaking. We had spoken since I’d left him in the room at the circus but right now sleep was beckoning and I wasn’t convinced I could have strung a coherent sentence together if I’d wanted to.  
It didn’t appear Nathaniel had noticed we’d gone or even if he’d woken at all. After putting on my t-shirt again, a now naked Micah and I crawled into bed again. Nathaniel cuddled against me as I laid my head on the pillows, after putting the Firestar under them, safety on of course, and nuzzled against his hair. Sleep came fast and I didn’t remember anything until I heard the bedroom door click open.  
My hand slid under the pillow but as the door opened the first inch a voice came; “It’s Edward.”  
I leant up on my elbow and looked first at him in the doorway trying not to look in then at the clock. It was eleven thirty. “What?” I asked although I knew he was here to wake us.  
“Get showered. We need to get our plan down.”  
“Alright. Is Merle here?”  
“Been sitting in your lounge for nearly four hours.”  
“Okay, we’ll be out as soon as we can.”  
Micah had begun to stir as Edward and I spoke and a few nudges later and Nathaniel was awake too. I felt no urge from the ardeur and was glad, what with Merle and Edward on the other side of the door, but the time between me needing to feed seemed to be getting greater and I was pleased. It meant I was gaining better control.  
I showered alone and went about getting dressed and armed as Micah took his turn in the bathroom.  
Nathaniel sat cross legged on the bed in silk shorts braiding his long auburn hair watching me intently. As I was putting on my shoulder holster over my black polo shirt he spoke.  
“Is it going to be dangerous today?”  
“Hmm?” I looked at him with a frown.  
“Are you going to be in danger?”  
The sincere look on his face made me stop and look at him properly. “I’m hoping it won’t come to me being in any danger.”  
“I want to help.” He tied off the end of his braid and rested his hands in his lap.  
“Nathaniel…” I started with a shake of my head but he stopped me.  
“I won’t get in the way; I’ll just be there in case things go wrong.”  
I sighed and moved to sit beside him on the bed. “It’s really not necessary. If everything goes to plan I intend on telling him he’s under arrest and marching him at gun point to the parking lot where I’ll shoot him.”  
“And if it doesn’t go to plan?” He was emanating worry his eyes were showing.  
“Oh, Nathaniel.” I reached out and put an arm around him and he leant against me, his head on my shoulder. “Jon has never killed his victims in public. I think the worst thing that could happen is he doesn’t show up and I lose my opportunity.”  
“But…”  
“No buts.” I said leaning away from him so I could look him in the eye. I pressed the palm of my right hand to his cheek, rubbing my thumb across his cheekbone. “It’ll be fine. I’ve walked into worse and come out unscathed.”  
“What if…” He started so say but I quieted him the best way I could think. I kissed him.  
His lips were soft and I’d taken him by surprise, taking him a moment before his lips actually returned the kiss with a gentle pressure of his own. We parted after only moments with a feeling that something important had occurred. I rarely kissed Nathaniel in anything other than the platonic sense, even when the ardeur was involved. I kissed him again quickly but stayed close to him.  
“My place is safe again. Call Cherry, Zane, or Gregory, or even Jason if you’d like, and go wait for me at home.”  
“If something happens to you…” He said quickly before I could stop him again.  
“I can’t promise you I’ll always come back.” I said moving further onto the bed and, sliding onto his lap, wrapped my arms and legs around him. Closeness was something that worked on Nathaniel, when you wanted him to really feel what you were trying to get across. I rested my forehead against his and spoke softly. “I don’t like to make promises I know I might break so I’ll say this; I promise I’ll come back whenever possible. And if anything should happen to me, Micah will take care of you.”  
He closed his eyes tight, sighed heavily and opened them again. “Please let me help, Anita. Let me be an active member of the Pard.” His tongue darted across my bottom lip and my stomach did a flip flop. Dammit, now was not the time to get the hots for Nathaniel.  
I slowly untangled myself from him and kissed him softly on the forehead. “You can wait in the parking lot with Micah if you really want. But you do nothing without Micah’s say so, understood?”  
“Understood.” He smiled.  
I slid off the bed and finished buckling my belt. Nathaniel got off the bed too and I wondered what he was going to do until I heard Micah open the adjoining bathroom door. He came out wearing only a towel and my stomach did another flip flop. Nathaniel bounded past him into the bathroom and shut the door but I was still looking at Micah. His hair was a mass of damp curls and small beads of moisture clung to his chest and arms. I actually had to swallow some of the saliva the sight had caused.  
“Why do you do that?” He asked.  
“What?” I looked at him curiously as I started applying face powder, finally getting back to getting ready.  
“You want him but you won’t give in.”  
“I can’t, no I won’t, screw everyone I think is cute.” I looked away and concentrated on my reflection in the mirror although I really didn’t see it.  
“Nathaniel’s different.”  
“How?” I turned to look at him again. His arms were now folded over his chest. “How is Nathaniel different?”  
“You share a bed with him almost every night, he lives with us, he takes care of the house, he cooks for us, but you won’t love him in return.”  
“You think I don’t love him?” I yelled slamming my eye-shadow back on the dresser. “I end up hurting the people I love and I don’t think Nathaniel could survive my love as easily as you or Jean Claude can.”  
“Love is a risk whatever the circumstances.” He shouted back. “Stop making excuses. If you truly love him show him once in a while.”  
I took three steps towards him bringing me just out of his arms reach. “When things go wrong in my life they go really wrong. I love Nathaniel too much to risk hurting him that much.”  
“Why not let him take that risk? He’s a grown man, whatever you might think.” His eyes were angrier than I’d ever seen them which got me even angrier.  
“That’s not the point.” I said turning to walk away, my voice low which meant I was even more angry than when I was yelling.  
“That is the point.” He grabbed my arm and I turned my angry gaze on him but he didn’t even flinch. He’d either been hanging out with me too much or not enough if this gaze didn’t affect him. “Take a risk, let Nathaniel take the risk. Hell, with your life let me and Jean Claude take the risk too.” He smiled. “We’re all in it together.”  
“I can’t.” I whispered, my tone still angry. “I’m not saying never but don’t push me on this, Micah.”  
“Sometimes you need a push, or at least a nudge, to get you where you need to be.”  
“I don’t need reminding of the fact, thank you.” I said snatching my arm back.  
“Please give Nathaniel the chance.”  
“I have other things to worry about right now. I’ll worry about this when I get the time.”  
“You shouldn’t worry about it at all.”  
“I’m not discussing it any more.” I walked away, intent on joining Edward and Merle but Micah moved lycanthropically fast to stand in front of me.  
“You’re making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. Talk to Nathaniel.”  
“Micah…” I said warningly.  
“Just think about the plusses.” He reached up and took what I could only assume was a bit of fluff from my hair. I didn’t get the chance to ask because the ardeur chose that moment to hit us with the force of a freight train.  
Micah closed the gap between us and I stumbled back as his lips met mine until my back hit the wall. His lips moved to my jaw as his hands pushed my shoulder holster off my arms, my own hands running through his damp hair. His fingers trailed over my breasts then ribs to the waistband of my jeans when the part of me that was still conscious realised we really didn’t have time either for this or for Micah and I to shower over again and I couldn’t afford to be late and miss Jon. I’d told Richard I’d be there early and it was important for Edward and Merle to get time to situate themselves and get to grips with the security system. But I knew how to do other things to feed the ardeur, it was all Nathaniel and I ever did, I’d only once had Micah in a situation like this where it hadn’t ended in sex and that was way back when we’d first met but now I knew how to use our Nimir statuses to make it so much more than it could be with just about anyone else.  
I pushed at his shoulders so he took a step back. “We don’t have time for the usual.” I said, my voice husky.  
“You have to feed.” He whispered.  
“I will.” I dropped to my knees and took his towel with me as I went.  
He was already swollen although not to his biggest, but in Micah that meant it took my breath away. The sheer size of him was enough to set things tightening inside me. I wrapped my hand around the base of him and my fingers barely met my thumb. I licked up him, like a Popsicle, long wet strokes that made him release a deep groaning breath. I slid my mouth over him, taking as much of him into me as I could, I had a better chance of doing so in the beginning as once he was full he was just too much to take.  
I passed the point that made me gag slowly, concentrating on the feel of him, of not using too much tooth and the rush the ardeur was getting from the sensation. His hands reached down and touched my hair, caressing the damp curls lightly at first then running his fingers through them.   
He’d grown in my mouth and I edged back a little to stop myself retching then continued to slide up and down over him. In the back of my head I registered that Nathaniel could come out of the bathroom at any minute and that Edward or Merle could come through the other door to see what was taking so long. I had to hurry this up, not a thought I usually had while going down on Micah.  
As I slid as much of him back into me as I could I reached out to him with my beast. His response was immediate and for a moment I regretted having so much of him in my mouth, moving back to prevent from choking. It was only a moment of regret however as his beast stroked through me like a velvet glove making me tremble. We explored one another on a level most people never even get to dream of as I moved my free hand to caress his testicles. I knew what the combination of the two conventional things could do to a guy but when our beasts were added to the mix it was potent. I pushed my beast through him in a rush, as though it’d pounce on him and make him fear whether it’d eat or screw him. He snarled at me metaphysically but that was not what I was feeling physically.  
His hands convulsed in my hair, an almost painful tightening that prevented me from moving for a moment. A glance up showed his head thrown back and I felt a rush in my mouth I wasn’t prepared for. He was further on than I’d thought. The ardeur was satisfied and curled up deep inside me with my beast for a long nap as I separated from Micah and spat on the carpet then wiped my mouth.  
Micah dropped heavily to his knees in front of me having finally let go of my hair. “Sorry.” He said. He knew I didn’t particularly like that part, I just wasn’t a swallower. Like I said, we normally did other stuff before it got this far.  
“It’s okay.” I nodded risking a swallow and trying not to look at the sticky patch on the floor. “I just need to clean my teeth again and you have to shower again.”  
As if on cue Nathaniel came back out of the bathroom. “It smells funky in here.” He said sniffing.  
“I’ll do that, you go clean your teeth.” Micah said knowing I’d know what he meant. He’d clean up the patch on the floor, I’d get to go and hide in the bathroom for a bit. So I did.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita meets with Jon.

We were finally all assembled in the lounge area with Edward and me arguing.  
“Not taking a no on this, my decision, final, you don’t like it get out on the horse you rode in on, you jumped up killing machine!”  
Edward just blinked at me. I think I’d actually left him speechless. “Okay.” He said finally.  
“What?” it was my turn to blink.  
“Okay. Nathaniel can come along. I don’t care if he gets killed.” He gave me a nonchalant shrug and sat down.  
I’d won, sure he’d said I was putting Nathaniel in jeopardy but I’d won. “Okay then.” I nodded and sat down.  
I was on my third coffee and everyone else had eaten breakfast. We were leaving in ten minutes for The Lunatic Café and we were all as locked and loaded as we’d ever be. Neither Edward or Merle had approved of Nathaniel coming along but Micah argued my case with me that it was going to happen whether they liked it or not and it had just come down to me and Edward.   
“He stays in the parking lot with Snagglepuss though.” Edward double checked.  
“Yes.” I said.  
And that was that, the end of the conversation. Nathaniel looked incredibly smug when he got in Edward’s car, as though I’d defended his honour. Merle and Micah were in with Nathaniel and Edward, and I was in my car on my own, to keep up the illusion that I was going in alone. I also left about five minutes before them so I could at least enter the front of the café alone even if I could meet up with Edward and Merle in the back room, as long as Jon hadn’t got here early too.   
The parking lot beside The Lunatic Café was almost empty; I noticed Richard’s jeep as well as about four other cars but none I recognised. I walked in the front door and after a moment to alter my eyes to the slightly dimmer interior I was treated to a view of Richard sitting on a bar stool looking straight at me. If not for his hair he could have advertised some incredibly manly scent or clothing company. He was wearing a t-shirt so white it could only have been new and it stretched tight over his torso, his blue jeans like a second skin, straining on his thighs. We looked at each other for a moment and with a start I realised I hadn’t even scanned the rest of the room. I started to look around when Richard said; “He’s not here yet.” And slid off the stool.  
I was still mad at him for last night, but right now I really needed his cooperation and bitching at him wouldn’t get me it. I’d have to save my bitching for another time.  
“The others are going to be going around the back in a few minutes.” I said simply.  
“Jamil is back there waiting for them.”   
Wow, we were being courteous. I nodded. “Do I get my choice of table?”  
“Back to the wall, facing the door. I thought you’d like to sit by the doors to the back in case you need to watch both exits.”  
“Thanks.” I looked at the table in question with its reserved sign on it and took in the rest of the room. There was a young couple at a table in the corner but that was all. There was a barman and a waitress who came through from the back with two plates of dessert, looked at Richard, to me, blushed furiously and went to the table of two. I was sure there was a story there but really didn’t want to know. I had more important things to worry about.  
“Anita.” I looked back at Richard. He did a small nod of his head, saying he wanted me closer for whatever he was going to say. I moved up beside him, trying to ignore the cologne he was wearing. I’d bought him some of this once upon a time. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He said softly.  
“Tell you?” I was puzzled. He was acting really weird. Okay, weird even for him lately.  
He took me by the elbow and led me further down the bar out of earshot of the barman. “That you’re the fiancée he’s coming to kill.”  
I was quiet for a moment. “Who told you?”  
“Why didn’t you tell me?”  
I sighed. “Because I didn’t think you’d let me do it.”  
“I didn’t want you killing anyone in my café, but your ex-fiancé?” His voice was not more than a whisper but it was a harsh one, as though he was having trouble keeping his voice in check. “That sheds a whole new light on it.”  
“Why? Because you were once my fiancé too?” I said admittedly a little sarcastically. Okay, it’s me, a lot sarcastically.  
“No, because it’s you he’s coming here to kill! You’re not protecting some poor girl, you’re saving yourself!” His voice finally raised enough that the diners looked at us.  
“Okay, first of all Richard, chill out you’re freaking your customers and possibly staff. Secondly this is why I wanted to kill him on sight and lastly why does that waitress keep blushing every time she looks at me?”  
Richard looked taken aback by the last part but said; “You should have said, Anita. We’re still in this triumvirate even if we’re not together.”  
“Jean Claude told you.” I said simply. He wouldn’t have mentioned him otherwise I don’t think.  
“Yes, he told me. But you should have.” He ran his hand into his hair in a gesture he used to use when he had a decent amount. It wasn’t the same and he quickly bought his hand down again, as though he’d forgotten it was so short.   
“I thought you’d have been even less likely if you’d known.” I shrugged.  
He shook his head. “Please try not to kill him in here, if you can help it. But I don’t want you hurt either.”  
I sighed. “I’ll do what I can. Lucky for you his MO isn’t that of someone who kills in public. He’ll probably ask me to go somewhere else with him anyway.”  
“But not lucky for you. As soon as you’re alone he’ll probably go for you.”  
“Probably. But that’s why I’m armed to the teeth and have a whole heap of back up.”  
“A whole heap?” He raised an eyebrow.  
“Well, four.” I smiled slightly. Wow, we were actually being nice to one another.  
“Four? Who’s the fourth?”  
“Nathaniel.”  
“Are you trying to get him killed?” He said wide eyed.  
“You said yourself that a were who’ll take orders is good in a fight against another were.”  
“Yeah, but Nathaniel?”  
“He wants to help.”  
He shook his head. “Where is he?”  
“In the car with Micah.”  
“Well that’s something at least.” He shook his head. “If you have to, do it in the parking lot.”  
“Thank you.” I nodded. “If that’s okay I have a plan already going through my mind that should work. Now, what about this waitress?”  
Richard glanced behind him at the girl who was incredibly busy considering how empty it was. “She made a real big deal last night at the meeting that we need to kick you as Lupa. Now suddenly you’re here. I think that’s it.”  
“She thinks someone ratted on her and now the big bad bolverk has shown up.” I smirked and waved at her. Richard batted my hand down.  
“Stop that.”  
“Sorry. That just made my morning.” I grinned.  
“You’re evil.” He said but he was smiling.  
I shrugged. “Yeah, probably. Still say my prayers like a good girl though.”   
He laughed. It was a sound I’d missed. “Go take your seat I’ll bring you a coke.”  
I did and he was still laughing when he put the coke on my table and went down the back.  
Now came the waiting game. The couple left and two men came in and sat at the bar followed about ten minutes later by a middle aged couple who sat down and ordered food. Guess it was going to be too busy in here to make a scene. I slipped off my coat, I’d deliberately put on a light coat over a jacket, and I slid the browning into my lap, covering it in the coat. I was wearing black jeans and a black shirt, I thought there was the chance blood might get spilt and I didn’t want it to stain anything. Black sneakers too of course. In case I did have to run.  
It was five to two when Jon walked in. I sat up a little straighter and rearranged my grip on my browning. He was dressed for a business meeting, in a grey suit and white shirt. His hair was greying and was almost in stripes, like my dream, but not quite. I didn’t stand as he approached just smiled as he slid into the seat opposite me. He was grinning from ear to ear. Wonder how soon I could wipe that off?  
“Anita, its great to see you, you look wonderful!” Good grief, he was pleased to see me. If I hadn’t known I’d have wondered why.  
“Hi, Jon.” I said simply.  
“Shall we order then catch up?”  
“Actually I’m not hungry.” I said simply. Maybe I should have let him eat, a last meal kind of thing. I wasn’t used to this, I normally killed them, not socialised first.  
“Oh that’s a shame, they do a good hamburger.”  
“Jonathan Andrews, as a federal marshal it is my duty to escort you from these premises. You’re under arrest.” I said bluntly, my face now straight.  
His smile faltered slightly then returned. “You’re a federal marshal?”  
“Yes. Please get up from the table and keep your hands where I can see them. I have a gun pointed at you.” He put his hands flat on the table and pushed his chair away from the table slowly. I hadn’t tucked my chair in that far and stood without the aid of my hands. “Turn around and walk towards the door. Keep your hands by your sides.” He did as I asked and we walked towards the door, me just over an arms length from him.   
We’d almost reached the door when suddenly one of the guys at the bar yelled; “Gun!” and threw his drink at me, as a distraction I think. It worked. I blinked the beer out of my eyes and started to pull the trigger on Jon, just in time to see his now clawed hand heading towards my gun, covered in the coat as it was. Richard was there suddenly and tugged on my upper arm, pulling me off balance and spinning my gun out of range as I finished pulling down on the trigger but meaning Jon missed my right hand, the bullet going off into the ceiling. I felt a dull pain start in my upper left arm then replaced immediately with a tingle running all up and down my arm.  
Richard released me and time that I hadn’t even realised had slowed down had sped up again and I bolted for the door, dropping the coat off my browning. I saw him down the street turning a corner, merely a blur of movement but I ran after him. Or rather I tried to. My legs started moving normally but when I started to pump my arms something was wrong. The pain in my left arm came back but this time in a searing heat; momentarily blinding me it was so bad. It took me by surprise and I stumbled slightly. I recovered and Jon was long gone. I swore, colourfully and turned back, furious. I’d missed him. I’d fucking missed him because of some Good Samaritan. Richard had pulled me, probably out of harms way, but I could have had the shot off before he’d hit me, I’d even taken the two steel bullets out of my gun so I had silver straight up. I saw Micah and Nathaniel come running around the café as Edward and Merle came out the door. What surprised me more was the fact that Richard was already heading towards me, I assumed having followed me after calming down the patrons. And hopefully berating them. If he didn’t I would.  
I spared a glance at my arm and was not happy. First of all my jacket was torn up as was my shirt showing flesh, or rather blood soaked flesh. Shit. If there was blood and it was hurting like this it was not a good sign. If it had just been the pain chances are he’d just jarred it but as there was blood and pain chances were it was serious. Why was it always the left arm? Maybe I ought to have a target tattooed on it, but with all my scarring I doubted it would work.   
Richard reached me first, although he wasn’t in as big a hurry as the others he had a head start. He looked at me, then my arm then back at my face. “I’ll go call the lycanthrope hospital, see if Lillian is available.” And walked away.  
The others all reached me at about the same time and none of them seemed to know what to do. I scowled at them all. “Missed him.” I said simply.  
“We need to get you inside and that arm looked at.” Edward said and took the Browning off me as though he was afraid of what I would do with it.  
“Richard’s calling for a doc.” I said simply.  
Nathaniel touched my back softly and I looked at him. I tried not to let the pain I was feeling into my eyes and smiled at him softly. I think I failed though because his bottom lip quivered slightly. “Come on, guys, let’s get off the street. I wanna verbalise at this Good Samaritan.”   
I did verbalise and Richard tried to referee. Oh and stop me bleeding too much on the floor. The guy was a new member of the pack and didn’t know who I was. Now there were two people in the room terrified of the bolverk. Micah convinced me to go to the back room so I didn’t traumatise the guy too much. Traumatise? I’d show him traumatised, I’d argued but let Micah take me with him anyway.  
I didn’t want to talk to anyone and Micah realised this and turfed everyone, even Richard, out of the room. I called Zebrowski and told him to come to the café as Micah slowing started peeling the material off my shoulder and arm, and the holster of course. It stung but as soon as I got Zebrowski on his way I hung up and could help. The arm was still tingling but numbness was taking over which was not a good sign. Finally I sat just in my bra and Micah sucked air in through his teeth.  
“It’s not pretty.”  
“When has a were slice up ever been pretty?” I asked and took a look. It wasn’t the worst I’d ever had but it was nasty. It ran from the under side of my upper arm, halfway down, then diagonally up till it almost reached my shoulder at the front. You could see pretty deep into it and the oncoming numbness worried me that something important might have been sliced and diced. I could still wiggle my fingers so I hoped it wasn’t too serious but it still hurt like hell.  
“Can you move your arm?” He touched my hand.  
“I can wiggle my fingers.” I said and tickled his palm softly.  
“And the rest?” He took my hand.  
“Maybe.” I tried to shrug and wished I hadn’t, wincing with the pain. I raised it slowly, gritting my teeth but doing it mostly on stubbornness, lifting it first to the elbow then raising my upper arm. I shook my head as pain shot through it and lowered it again slowly, Micah moving his hand to my elbow and easing it down.  
“At least you can still move it; nothing really serious has been severed.” He said peering into the wound again.  
“Good.” I said. We sat in silence for a moment, me on the desk, Micah hold my hand gently standing in front of me but eventually I had to say something. “I should have shot him on sight. It’s what I’m meant to do. I shouldn’t have let Richard influence me.”  
“You did what you thought was best.” He smiled sadly and touched my hair lightly.  
“I was stupid.” I said and moved away from his hand. The comfort of his touch was making me stop thinking about the mistake I’d just made. “I can’t afford to make mistakes like this.”  
“It wasn’t a mistake.” He said, choosing his words carefully. “You did what you could in the situation. You told me you hated doing your last execution in such a public place. At least here you had another option. It just didn’t quite work out how you expected and that’s not your fault.”  
“You can try and tell me it’s not my fault all you want but until he’s dead it’s my fault he’s at large.” I gave him a steely gaze.  
He sighed. “You’ll get him.”  
I didn’t get to answer as the door opened and there was Dr Lillian. She was in her fifties with a sensible grey hair do and a smile that always said to me ‘what have you done now?’ She was also a wererat but the best doc I’d ever had.  
“What have you done now?” She said as she closed the door. See?   
“I don’t know what you mean, doc.” I said simply with a small smile.  
“There’s a ton of muscle and Death at the door, one very whimpery wereleopard and you don’t know what I mean.” She shook her head. She stepped straight up to where Micah stood, dumped her bag on the desk and looked at my arm. “You always do a good job, Anita.”  
“Well, if you’re going to do a job do it properly.” I said and gave Micah a look. He sighed and shook his head and walked away slightly, giving us some space.  
She poked and prodded while I tried not to wince and stared into space, thinking about what to do next. What could I do? I’d used a wolf to hunt someone before, I wondered if that would work again, if I had enough of his scent to go on. Somehow I doubted it. There had to be something else. There had to be something I was missing.  
“Anita, please stop sighing, it’s making this very difficult.” Lillian said frustrated.  
“Sorry.” I mumbled.  
“Stitches again I’m afraid, young lady.” She moved back to her bag. “But it’s only to stop you making it any worse. It will heal just fine, no major damage done.”  
I sat and pouted while Lillian stitched me up, not looking, still thinking. Come on, think. I had no idea where he was, where he was going or where he’d been…or did I? “Micah, pass me my cellphone.” He did and I looked through the calls list. Jon had called me, from a number here in St Louis. I just didn’t know where, but I did have the number. I called it, distracting myself from the stitches some more, and my eyes went wide when the number was answered. I muttered wrong number and hung up. I looked at Micah who was looking at me curiously.  
“The number he called me from.” I said and swallowed. “It was a hotel.”  
“Not where we were staying?” Micah said in disbelief.  
“No.” I shook my head. “Worse. Where my dad’s staying.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe I should have called this chapter 'people get called names' because I'm still snickering about 'jumped up killing machine' and not to mention 'Snagglepuss'.
> 
> Coming towards the finale now, things are getting exciting! Well to me they are anyway!


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The race to find Jon is on!

We raced to the hotel, Micah, Edward, Merle, Nathaniel and I. Richard had wanted to come along too but I’d made him stay and wait for Zebrowski. I think he felt bad because it was one of his wolves who’d stopped me. I let Edward drive my jeep with us all in with him, I trusted him to get us there fast and in one piece. I trusted the others with a lot of things but Edward I trusted implicitly in matters like this. I called ahead to the hotel and asked if Mr Andrews was still staying there or if he’d checked out. If it was me I’d have run by now, just as well he wasn’t me and he hadn’t checked out…yet. Then I asked to be put through to Dad’s room, if he was there. He wasn’t which filled me with relief. Firstly I wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to get in the way, which civilians, be they your parents or ex fiancé’s lukoi members, tended to do. Secondly I didn’t want him to see me off the guy I’d once been engaged to technically in cold blood. And finally, I didn’t want him to see this side of my work yet. Okay, so he knew I did it but it didn’t mean I wanted him having a fully labelled diagram.  
Edward informed us of the plan as he drove. I finally relinquished and gave the organisation up to his capable hands. I was not going anywhere alone, even into the hotel. Merle, Micah and Nathaniel would go in together as would Edward and I but while we would go in as two separate parties we would not be out of one another’s sight. Edward and I, once we were sure the lobby was clear, would find out Jon’s room number and the five of us would kick in the door and if he was there I’d off him, or Edward would, whichever of us got the bullet out of the chamber first. I was betting on me but wasn’t telling Edward that. If he wasn’t in the room but his stuff still was it meant one of two things, either he wasn’t coming back for it, which really screwed up me killing him, or that he would be back some time in the near future, when we could off him once and for all.  
We double parked out the front and the doorman started to protest until I flashed him my fed badge then he offered to park it for us himself. Edward told him it would be fine where it was and we walked off and into the hotel. The lobby was clear and Edward sent Micah, Merle and Nathaniel to check the lounge area as Edward and I got his room number. Another flash of the badge and we had the number, but Micah and co weren’t back. This worried me. I glanced at Edward.  
“Either the lounge area is busier than we thought and they’re having trouble ID-ing people or…” he left the sentence hanging.  
“Let’s go find out.”  
We reached the entrance to the lounge and almost walked straight into Micah. “You’re not going to like this.” He said simply. He was radiating worry and I pushed him aside. My eyes fell on Jon, lounging on a comfortable sofa, enjoying what appeared to be a cup of tea from bone china, and sitting beside him, and opposite, enjoying a cosy chat, was my dad, Judith and Josh. Fuck.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon makes his move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Bonus chapter!
> 
> I just couldn't leave it with such a short chapter that was also a cliffhanger! So here is another chapter! Tomorrow, as there is only two chapters left, I will post both, just to finish things up, then it's onto the next story!

Jon turned as I looked at him and flashed me a smile. He had his arm rested casually along the back of the couch, way too close to Dad for my liking and the look in his eyes said he knew it too. He said something and Dad turned too, giving us all a friendly wave and smile, Judith and Josh followed suit a moment later. I had no idea where Merle and Nathaniel were but as far as I knew Jon didn’t know either of them so perhaps having them stationed where they could help if needed but didn’t appear to be part of our party in the moderately busy lounge then I was all for it. As long as no one did anything incredibly stupid.  
“Edward, don’t do anything to endanger my family.” I said quietly.  
“Don’t let your personal feelings get in the way of the job.” I shot him an angry look. His jaw was set and his eyes cold. He looked down at me slowly. “There’s a bigger scheme at work here, Anita. Don’t forget that. You missed him once.”  
Oh that was it. Now I was pissed. “I’ll get the job done, Edward, you just watch you don’t get trigger happy or my next bullet will be yours.” And I walked as casually as I could towards them.  
Dad stood and smiled some more as we got closer but his smile faltered as he registered the look on my face. Jon’s arm bent at the elbow so he could still easily reach Dad if needs be. I still wouldn’t have a safe shot. “Anita, this is an unexpected surprise.”  
“Isn’t it?” I said without feeling.  
“You must remember Jonathan? What a coincidence, him staying here too.” He was watching me carefully, maybe Dad wasn’t as stupid as I thought.  
“Yeah, I can’t believe my luck.”  
“Won’t you sit down, Anita?” Jon patted the sofa on the other side of him.  
“You know why I’m here, Jon.”  
“I know why you’re here. But I think I have the upper hand.”  
“Why, Jon?”  
“You’re the marshal, Anita. You tell me.”  
“Because you’re not right.” I spat. “Because you have some jumped up notion that whatever happened to make you the way you are has something to do with one of your ex’s.”  
“True. It was one of my ex’s.” He said nonchalantly.  
I’d stopped a small step away from the coffee table, standing between Judith and Josh’s chairs, almost directly opposite Jon. “Can we take this outside? Just you and me.”  
“Anita…” Edward said warningly.  
I ignored him. “Come on, Jon, it’s what you want.”  
“No.” He shook his head. “We get clear and your friend here will just take me out. I’m leaving and your Dad is coming with me.”  
I felt Dad’s gaze fall on me but more importantly I felt rather than saw Nathaniel and Merle outside. Behind the couch on which Dad and Jon sat was a large window, old fashioned and not double glazed. I hoped what I was planning on trying worked. “If Dad goes with you will you let him go once you’re clear?”  
“If I’m sure we’re clear.” Jon said simply.  
“Okay.” I looked at Dad who was a little wide eyed. “Dad, go with Jon, do whatever he wants and you won’t get hurt. It’ll be okay.”  
Jon sniffed the air. “You don’t quite believe that, do you Anita?”  
“I don’t believe anything anymore.” I said simply.  
He nodded. “Come on, Mr Blake.” And they both stood, Jon taking a grip on the back of Dad’s shirt.  
This was what I’d been waiting for. Fast as I could, which meant Edward didn’t even have time to react; I placed my right foot on the coffee table and launched myself at Jon’s waist. The surprise of the attack threw him off balance and he and Dad fell backwards onto the back of the couch which toppled backwards into the window beyond. Jon did what I thought he’d do and as soon as he recovered slightly, which was as the couch was halfway through cracking the window, he grabbed my upper arms and pushed backwards, sending us both through the glass and onto the lawn beyond. I was aware of the sound of breaking glass, of screams and yells, but mostly I was aware of the feel of Jon’s hands changing to claws against my arms. His grip on my new stitches hurt like hell but it reminded me of what I was doing at least. We landed and Jon was on top of me but that wouldn’t last very long, I’d trained in Judo for years for a reason.  
I flipped us quickly sideways and broke his grip on my arms and slugged him as we righted. I knew it wouldn’t have much effect but it was all I could do in the short space of time and I couldn’t have guaranteed my gun would clear the holster as quick as a punch would. I had a moment to realise that Jon had drawn his clawed hand back for a swipe at me when I was hit at high speed by a furred person. From the spots I saw as we rolled away from Jon I knew it had to be Merle. We rolled to a stop a few meters away and jumped to our feet. I’d suspected that Merle was in part leopard part man form but his standing beside me confirmed that. I reached for my Browning and found it no longer in the holster. A quick glance showed it on the ground beside Jon.  
Jon said; “I was already a were when we were together, Anita.”  
That made me pause. “What?” I was moving my hand towards my Firestar.  
“I was a were when we met.”  
“You mean Anita’s never slept with a human?” The voice was Nathaniel’s and behind Jon. Too close. Jon spun backwards and towards Nathaniel just as the black furred shape of Micah ploughed into him. Jon started to shift further into the half man form Micah was using only the fur that appeared was orange stripped. I was waving the Firestar at them, not wanting to hit Micah but needing to take out Jon once and for all.   
Then I thought. “Ah, to hell with it.” and strode towards the fighting, growling balls of fur. It was risky. There were claws and fur and blood flying but Jon had to die, it was that simple. I’d worry about never having slept with a human later. I had to choose my moment just right or risk hurting Micah at the very least, I moved around trying to find a good angle but couldn’t get one, not a risk free one. So in frustration I jumped on Jon’s back as they passed me.  
“Anita, no!” Micah growled but Jon shoved at him while he was momentarily distracted, pushing him away with all that lycanthropic power and raking claws across his chest. Micah staggered back and dropped to one furry knee as I finally got enough purchase to wrap my legs around Jon’s torso. I gripped around his throat with my left arm as he snarled and snapped at me, his claws raking through my clothes and into the flesh of my thighs. My left arm was hurting and still weakened from his earlier attack but I didn’t need long. I raised my right arm, pushed the Firestar against his temple and pulled the trigger.  
Jon’s brains sprayed out the left side of his head and he stilled then crumpled to the ground. I climbed off him and kicked him to his back. Despite his dead eyes I unloaded two more bullets into his chest, removing his heart. Sure it wasn’t normal practise with a were but it sure made me feel a whole lot better.  
The otherworldly energy of a were shifting made me move my eyes to Micah who was now knelt on the ground in human form. Totally naked but human and healed at least.  
Nathaniel reached me first and pulled me into a tight hug and I held him, not sure which of us needed to be held the most. My legs were stinging, my arm hurt but Jon was dead. I turned my head to look toward the broken window. Micah was heading towards it; Josh was holding his coat but really wasn’t paying attention to Micah coming toward him. He was watching Edward, bent over my Dad. Dad still lay on the floor where the chair had toppled through the glass. His eyes were open but Edward did not look happy.  
“Someone call an ambulance, now!” He said. That was all I needed. I broke away from Nathaniel and went as quickly as I could towards them. I dropped to my knees beside them.  
Dad was pale, his breathing heavy. Edward looked at me and his face was calm, neutral. I didn’t like it.  
“Anita.” Dad gasped. “You’re alright.”  
“Dad, what…?”  
“I hope you’re happy.” Judith said from behind Edward. She was angry but it was a scared angry. I could taste it from here. She was looking directly at me. “This is all your fault, Anita. Your father is going to die of a heart attack and it’s all your fault.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anita feels guilty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are at the final two chapters already! Tomorrow starts an all new adventure which I hope you will read too! Many thanks to everyone for reading, commenting, Kudos-ing etc...

Judith didn’t want me at the hospital or anywhere near Dad and for the first time in my life she told me to my face. I left them long enough to have my cuts cleaned then went back. I sat further down the corridor to them while we waited for the doctors. Dad didn’t die. It was only a mild heart attack the doctors reassured us. I let Judith and Josh go in and see him while I sat in the corridor with Nathaniel, Micah having gone to get a change of clothes and some new pants for me. Nathaniel held my hand tightly but for once I gained no comfort from him. I stared at the floor, unseeing. It was my fault. Dad could have died and it was because of me, my life.  
As though reading my thoughts Nathaniel said; “It’s not your fault, Anita.”  
I turned my head and gave him a look that said I didn’t believe him and didn’t want to hear it. I deserved to be blamed. Maybe Judith was right. Maybe I should leave. I’d joked with Dad on Sunday that I didn’t want to give him a coronary. I meant it and now knowing I had was hurting. A lot.  
“C’mon, Nathaniel.” I said and stood, Nathaniel doing so reluctantly, and I headed towards the exit.  
“Anita!” It was Josh.  
I stopped and turned to face him. “I’m leaving, Josh. Tell Dad…” my voice broke and tears crept into my eyes, dammit. “Tell Dad I’m sorry.”  
“He wants to see you.”  
I shook my head and closed my eyes, fighting back the tears for all I was worth. Nathaniel took the initiative and started back towards Josh, towards Dad’s room. His grip on my hand tightened as I refused to go and he faced me. “Anita. Stop being brave and go see your dad.”  
That was it. I sobbed and he pulled me against him in a tight hug. I didn’t cry for long but I didn’t need to. After two long minutes of quiet sobbing I wiped my eyes, kissed Nathaniel on the cheek and went with Josh.  
Judith scowled at me as I came in. I didn’t even try and replace the look in my eyes. I was angry at myself for this happening but most of all I was pretty much ashamed of what I’d caused. Judith blamed me and I couldn’t fault her, not one bit.  
Dad lay on the crisp white sheets with a horrible grey complexion. Sticky pads covered his chest with wires leading to a monitor by the bed which blipped reassuringly. Dad held up his hand and smiled at me as I wrapped my fingers around his own.  
“I hear you won.” I shrugged, not trusting my voice. “Where did you learn to move that fast?”  
“Practise.” I murmured barely audibly.  
We sat in silence for a moment until Judith said; “Your father needs to rest. I think you should leave.” Her tone however omitted the first sentence entirely. She just wanted me to leave, for any reason. I nodded and started to move but Dad tightened his grip on my hand.  
“For God’s sake, Judith, it wasn’t her fault!”  
“It was, Dad.” I said softly. “Jon was looking for me. It’s my fault you were put in danger.”  
“If Jonathan had taken me as his hostage, do you believe he would have let me go unharmed?” He raised his eyebrows as though he already knew the answer.  
“Probably not.” I said simply.  
“Then you saved my life.” He smiled warmly. I shook my head, more against the tears than anything. “Anita, look at me.” His voice held that edge that parents have, the ‘don’t disobey’ edge, so I stopped and looked at him. “I don’t blame you, Anita, and you shouldn’t blame yourself. Now, why was Jonathan looking for you?”  
I wiped my eyes and sighed. “He was a serial killer. He’s been going round killing all his ex-girlfriends.”  
“So he was in town to kill you?” He almost managed to keep the surprise out of his voice. “That’s terrible!”  
“He’s not the first and I doubt he’ll be the last.”  
“How did you find out?”  
“Zebrowski. He was at my place the other morning?” Dad nodded. “He’s a detective with RPIT. He brought me a warrant for execution that morning. It was for Jon.”  
“You knew you had to kill your ex-fiancé and you’re okay with it?” Judith sounded outraged.  
“Did you see the photos of how he’d torn up his other ex’s?” I glared at her. “Did you read the file saying how all his other ex’s were sliced up so badly that two of them had to be identified by their dental records? If you knew your ex was coming to town to murder you and you had the means and legal backing to stop him, wouldn’t you wanna do it first?”  
Judith made a small harrumphing noise and walked out. Josh looked to the door and back at me then pulled up a chair and offered it to me. “Sit, Anita. You deserve it, at the very least.”  
I sighed and sat as Josh moved to the other chair on the opposite side of the bed. “I’m so sorry, Dad.”  
He shushed me. “It’s alright. I don’t blame you and you shouldn’t blame yourself. You were just doing your job.”  
I laughed and it sounded horribly like a sob. “Some job.”  
“Not what I would have chosen for you but you seem to be pretty good at it.”  
“Hell, yes!” Josh added. “You jumped on the tiger and still kept hold even when it was attacking you! I’ve never seen anything like it!”  
“And I hope you don’t have to again.” I looked at him in alarm.  
“What about the scratches?” Dad asked and I looked back at him. “Does this mean you’re infected?”  
I sighed again. “Maybe. Although maybe not. I’ve been scratched up before and nothing happened. It’s something to do with my necromancy, and some other things thrown in.”  
“What other things?”  
“No, Dad.” I shook my head. “The window into my life is now closed. No more peeps for you for a while.”  
“What about me?” Josh smiled.  
“Definitely not you! Josh, this is not a fun thing. Its serious life or death stuff and I have to deal with it everyday.”  
“Everyday?” Dad asked.  
“Some days.” I shrugged. “Most days.”  
“Anita…”  
“No, Dad. We’re not here to discuss my life. We’re here because I nearly caused the end of yours.” He went to say something but I interrupted. “I’m going to blame myself anyway, Dad, so get used to it. I’m glad you’re alright but it could have been worse. Next time don’t come visit me, I’ll come to you.”  
“But you never do.” He smiled.  
I paused for a second. “I’ll try to get over more.”  
“And will you be bringing anyone?”  
I paused again. “I doubt you’d appreciate it if I brought Jean Claude with me.”  
“What about Micah?”  
“You’d still want him over, now that you know what he is?”  
“He’s a lovely young man, why wouldn’t we want him over?”  
“I don’t know. Maybe Judith would worry he’d shed on the couch.”  
Josh laughed and Dad chuckled. “Any of your friends are welcome to come with you. Even Jean Claude if you want to bring him.”  
“Really?” I raised an eyebrow.  
“Really.”  
“I’ll think about it.”


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brief, tiny summing up!

Two hours later and I was back home with clean jeans on and a very tired out Micah. I’d given my statement to Zebrowski who’d had a team cleaning up at the scene since just after the ambulance arrived. I’d earned my commission so to speak but at one hell of a cost. Edward had long gone when the cops arrived and Micah and Merle had left as it would be much easier to take statements from them when they were both feeling more themselves.  
Jon was dead, no more threat. The wolf who’d attacked me was on her way home as a warning and now I just had to get over the Halloween rush. After my raisings I spent the night with a lot of touching, curling up after even more touching with Jean Claude, Asher, Micah and Nathaniel.   
Richard sent me a box of chocolates by way of an apology for his lukoi messing up me getting Jon at the café. I saved them for the following Sunday night when Micah, Nathaniel and I ate them on the couch watching a movie, something funny that was meant to lighten my mood.  
Edward made one more lunch date for us, so Becca could say goodbye I was told. I asked Edward as he left if I owed him. He laughed and shook his head as he walked away so I’m still not entirely sure.  
Dad was released from the hospital the following day and he made sure we got to say goodbye properly. Judith wasn’t talking to me but I could live with that. Josh told me how cool it was, despite Dad getting sick and asked to come and stay with me one weekend. I said no.  
Dad tried to arrange a day for myself and my choice of guest to come over and see them. I told him I’d try and schedule it after my busy period. I wasn’t going to rush to pour over my diary though. I think I’d had enough family time to last me a lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming tomorrow!
> 
> SIBLING TRIFLY!


End file.
